Authorities in the Dominican Republic on Monday said they are closing in on the mastermind and motive behind the shooting of former Red Sox star David Ortiz, The Associated Press reported from Santo Domingo.
Ortiz, 43, continues to recover from his injuries in a Boston hospital.
Two men — one identified by authorities and the other who appeared in court — also were linked Monday to the attempted murder June 9 of the former MLB slugger.
Authorities said they believe Alberto Miguel Rodriguez Mota paid the hitmen, and Gabriel Alexander Perez Vizcaino, nicknamed "Bone," is accused of being the liaison between the Mota and the hitmen, according to court documents from his closed hearing obtained by The AP.
The former remains a fugitive and the latter was in prison in an unrelated case, according to the report.
Perez, 24, is one of 10 suspects who are in custody, and authorities are looking for at least two others mentioned in the court documents, including the man they accused Monday of paying the alleged hitmen.
Ortiz’s attorney, Jose Martinez Hoepelman, told The AP that he is satisfied with the investigation's progress.
“Trust the authorities,” he said. “They have worked tirelessly to obtain the results that we have so far. We all want more information, but we have to wait.”
Ortiz, a key figure in three Red Sox world championships, lives in Boston but visits his native Dominican Republic several times a year.
He remains in intensive care at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was transferred after doctors in the Dominican Republic removed his gallbladder and part of his intestines immediately after he was shot.
