Wander Franco receives official summons in Dominican Republic: report
UPDATE (12:30 p.m. Thursday): Despite a summons from the Dominican Republic authorities investigating him to appear at their Santo Domingo offices Thursday at 11 a.m., Rays shortstop Wander Franco was a no-show.
DEVELOPING: A day after authorities went to two Dominican Republic residences searching for Wander Franco, the Rays shortstop was officially summoned to answer a complaint of allegations that he had inappropriate relationships with minors, ESPN reported Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the Santo Domingo Prosecutor’s Office for Children and Adolescents searched the home of Franco’s mother in Baní, Peravia, province and Franco’s home in Villa Real, according to multiple Spanish-language reports.
ESPN reported that authorities have told Franco and his attorneys he must attend an 11 a.m. meeting Thursday with the prosecutor’s office. If the 22-year-old does not heed this first formal summons, it’s unclear if the prosecutor’s office would give him another opportunity to appear voluntarily or if an arrest warrant would be issued.
William Aish, the sports editor of El Nuevo Diario in the Dominican Republic, said local authorities have not provided additional information about the nature of Tuesday’s searches in Villa Real and Bani. They also had not explained why they waited until a day after Christmas to carry them out.
“They only say ‘we are investigating’ ” Aish told the Tampa Bay Times. “...Several people who witnessed the searches reported that authorities provided phone numbers to Franco’s family to contact them.”
Franco, who went back to his native Dominican Republic earlier this month, has been the subject of a four-month investigation by Dominican authorities and Major League Baseball. During the season, he was placed on administrative leave under the MLB and players union’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.
The prosecutor’s office in Santo Domingo did not respond to multiple requests regarding the existence of an arrest warrant or summons against Franco. Dominican authorities previously have said they cannot share details during an active investigation.
The Rays and Franco’s U.S.-based attorney, Jay Reisinger, declined comment Wednesday.
Times staff writer Kristie Ackert contributed to this report.
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