Oct 1, 2008 - 8:37 PM
0 shoutsHACKENSACK, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Dominican Republic police were searching for New York Mets righthander Ambiorix Burgos on Wednesday after a crash involving his SUV killed two women, according to a published report.
Ambiorix's Hummer allegedly struck pedestrians Josefina Minaya Martinez, 38, and Angely Fana, 29, in the town of Nagua, Police Col. Eulogio Taveras said. They later died of their injuries at a hospital, according to the Bergen Record.
Based on witness reports, "the investigation indicates that Burgos was the driver of the (vehicle) that hit the women," Taveras said in a statement to the newspaper.
"We are extremely disturbed by the reports regarding the player's potential involvement in the hit-and-run accident that unfortunately killed two women in the Dominican Republic," the Mets said in a statement. "We take this matter very seriously and have begun an internal investigation to ascertain the facts. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the families of the victims."
Burgos was arrested last month in New York on assault and harassment charges after a scuffle with his girlfriend.
Burgos has appeared in court on those charges but did not enter a plea, according to prosecutors. He is expected to be in U.S. court on October 23, and faces up to a year in jail if convicted of the more serious misdemeanor assault charge.
Burgos spent this past season on the disabled list following elbow ligament replacement surgery. He pitched in the minors last month while on a rehabilitation assignment.
The Mets acquired the 24-year-old from the Kansas City Royals for pitcher Brian Bannister two years ago. Burgos was 1-0 with a 3.42 ERA in 17 relief appearances in 2007.
