The man suspected of shooting David Ortiz says he hit the wrong target.
TMZ references a newly surfaced cell phone video in which 25-year-old Rolfi Ferreira Cruz, who was arrested for his alleged involvement in the shooting, admits to having pulled the trigger during the incident. The accused also insists the Red Sox slugger was not the person he was hired to kill.
In the video below, Cruz is heard speaking in Spanish, telling onlookers "it wasn't supposed to be David." Another man in the cell, believed to be an accomplice, is also heard saying, "Tell them it wasn't meant for David."
The two individuals did not say who their intended target was, meaning a hit was likely placed on someone who showed up to the Dial Bar on Sunday evening.
Per the New York Post, Cruz is a New Jersey resident reportedly on the run for his involvement in two robberies in 2017. Passaic County Sheriff’s Office say the fugitive mugged a 26-year-old man and a 41-year-old man in the same evening.
A New Jersey bodega owner told the Post she and her husband recognized Cruz in his mugshot for the recent shooting, noting they haven't seen him for some time. "I recognize him. He lives around here. He was a customer," said Magda Cruz (no relation). "He came in regularly. Not for the last year...he went back to the Dominican Republic."
On Wednesday, it was reported that the crime is the result of a failed orchestrated hit. A bounty, which was originally believed to have been placed on the former Red Sox player, was for the amount of $8,000. TMZ reports six people have been arrested in connection to the case as of this writing, though a motive has yet to be released by police officials.
Following the Sunday shooting, Big Papi was flown in from Santo Domingo to Boston via medical air ambulance, where he underwent a successful surgery. Thankfully, he is expected to make a full recovery.
