Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, who is waiting for his trial in a sexual abuse case, was arrested after being involved in an armed fight in the Dominican Republic, according to police on Monday.
Meregirdo Espinosa, a police spokesperson in the Dominican Republic, told The Associated Press that the altercation took place in a parking lot in San Juan de la Maguana, a city located 116 miles (187 kilometers) west of Santo Domingo. Franco was arrested on Sunday. Another man and a woman were also detained, and two guns were seized, police reported.
Espinosa mentioned that one of the guns likely belonged to Franco, who was reportedly fighting with the other man over the woman’s attention.
Police did not mention whether anyone was injured in the incident.
The 23-year-old Franco is set to go on trial on December 12 in the northern province of Puerto Plata for a sexual abuse case involving a 14-year-old girl. He has also been charged with sexual and commercial exploitation of a minor, and human trafficking.
Franco was released under certain conditions on January 5, just four days after his arrest on the abuse charges.
Franco, who has not spoken to the media about the case, has said, “Everything is in God’s hands.”
Franco’s career came to a halt in August 2023, in the middle of his third major league season. He signed an 11-year, $182 million contract with the Rays in November 2021.
Tampa Bay placed Franco on the restricted list on July 10, which stopped the pay he had been receiving while on administrative leave.
