Baseball's David Ortiz walks after surgery; second man arrested in his shooting

[June 12, 2019]  (Reuters) - David Ortiz, the retired Boston Red Sox baseball star, took a few steps in his hospital room on Tuesday after surgery for a gunshot wound suffered in an attack in the Dominican Republic, news outlets reported.

A second suspect was arrested Tuesday evening in connection with the shooting, the Boston Globe and other outlets reported, citing unnamed sources. It was not known whether the second suspect was the shooter sought by police.

One suspect was charged as an accomplice to attempted murder on Tuesday, news outlets including CNN reported.

"He is stable, awake, and resting comfortably this morning," Ortiz's wife, Tiffany Ortiz, said in a statement Tuesday. Ortiz, 43, was expected to remain in the intensive care unit at the Boston hospital for the next few days, she said.

Ortiz was shot in the torso on Sunday evening at a nightclub in Santo Domingo, the capital of his native Dominican Republic. His friend Jhoel López, a television host, was also wounded in the shooting.

One suspect was identified as Eddy Vladimir Féliz García, who was beaten by bystanders at the scene. He was charged as an accomplice to attempted murder, officials said, according to CNN and NBC.

The second suspect was not named publicly and charges were not announced, the Globe and other media reported.

Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz follows through as he flies out in the eighth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during their MLB American League East baseball game in Boston, Massachusetts, September 22, 2013. REUTERS/Dominick Reuter

Ortiz underwent a first round of surgery in Santo Domingo on Sunday night before being flown to Boston.

Known as "Big Papi," Ortiz is still a hero in Boston for his role in three World Series championships and for his motivational remarks in the days after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

(Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; Additional reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Larry King and Jeffrey Benkoe)

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