Dominican Republic authorities confirmed that a raid has been conducted on the two homes owned by Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco concerning accusations that he is having a relationship with a minor.
The accusations against Franco, 22, first surfaced in August this year. Local authorities started the investigations in the same month, and Tampa Bay Rays decided to immediately put him on administrative leave, although he was reinstated in the 40-man roster by November.
House raids
Well-known Dominican Republic publication Listin Diario reported that the police and the Santo Domingo Prosecutor's Office for Children and Adolescents searched the two houses owned by Franco to look for him.
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The first home is occupied by his mother in Bani, and Franco occupies the other in Villa Real. Neighbors said the authorities also left messages with Franco's wife.
The authorities did not find Franco in any of the residences.
Now, a local court has decided to summon him for questioning.
ESPN Deportes reported that the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Children and Adolescents made a public announcement concerning Franco's case. The report reads:
"In a bailiff's act sent at the request of Olga Diná Llaverías , Attorney General of the Court of Appeal and director of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Children and Adolescents, Franco and his lawyers are informed that the baseball player must attend on Thursday the 28th. December at 11 in the morning to the headquarters of the judicial body in the city of Santo Domingo."
Complainants and league action
There are at least two persons who filed legal actions against the rising Tampa Bay Rays player, while another investigation is being considered for his relationship with a third minor.
The complainants revealed that Franco engaged in relationships with them when they were still minors and the player was 18, the country's age of consent.
A local sports editor named Hector Gomez reported on December 27 that new evidence found "further implicates him in the accusations that have been made against him of alleged relationships with minors."
The league put him on administrative leave, a move his club fully supported.
"We support Major League Baseball's decision to place Wander Franco on Administration Leave," the Rays said in a statement after MLB's announcement in August.
"The Tampa Bay Rays are dedicated to upholding high standards of integrity both on and off the field. We appreciate the understanding and patience of our fans and supporters as this process unfolds."
Franco's denial
Franco, who made the All-Star this year, immediately denied the accusations. In an Instagram Live, he referred to them as "gossip."
"They say that I'm in public with a little girl, that I'm running around with a minor," he told his viewers.
"People don't know what to do with their time. They don't know what they're talking about. That's why I prefer to be on my side and not get involved with anybody ... because people gossip and talk smack."
Franco is projected as a rising star in the league. He just signed an 11-year, $182 million extension in 2021.
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