Giants' Angel Villalona the main suspect in a murder

[realmofotalk]

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic(AP)—A baseball prospect for the San Francisco Giants is the main suspect in the killing of a 25-year-old man in the Dominican Republic, police said Sunday.

Angel Villalona turned himself in 12 hours after the man was shot at a bar in the southern coastal city of La Romana, Col. Adrian Urbaez told The Associated Press.

“The Giants were disappointed to learn that there was an incident in the Dominican Republic last night in which an individual was killed and one of our minor league prospects, Angel Villalona, may have been involved. We will monitor the situation closely and trust that the judicial process in the Dominican Republic will resolve the matter promptly and fairly,” the team said in a statement released Sunday.

Villalona was signed by the San Francisco Giants in 2006 and received a club-record $2.1 million signing bonus. He played in 74 games with a Giants minor-league team this season, batting .267 with nine home runs and 42 RBIs.

The 19-year-old was considered the Giants’ most prized prospect when he signed and was chosen the top prospect in the Arizona Rookie League two years ago.

Frank Micheli, president of the Azucareros del Este - Villalona’s winter baseball team - said he was aware someone was killed but that he had no further details.

Villalona will appear in court Monday and could face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty in the Saturday night killing of Mario Felix de Jesus Velete, police said.

[Saber]

Wait, what?

[realmofotalk]

This is pretty much front page news concerning the Giants' future. He's their best hitting prospect, and one whose raw power scouts grade as a 80 on a scale of 20-to-80.

[realmofotalk]

Villalona pleaded innocent to the murder charge. I have to believe he will argue that he acted in imperfect self-defense. Think Johnny Cade from "The Outsiders".

[Saber]

Who taught you about "imperfect self-defense?" It's usually a pretty bad case when you have to use it.

[realmofotalk]

I'm sure there are other ways to weasel yourself out of it, but being charged for voluntary homicide does put yourself into a pretty bad hole.

"It wasn't me" makes for a playful song, but a shitty defense.

[catman]

This is a tough charge to beat. Hope he can get things straightened out.

[Saber]

Unless he did it.

[catman]

If he did it, he should pay the penalty.

[love_that_reefer]

I don't know any facts about the case but hopefully there is a good excuse considering he did turn himself in. I am hoping for the best but if he killed him without just cause, **** him. The Giants will be just fine. Villalona was a ways off from being a contributor. Just hope they can try and get some money back if he is indeed found guilty

[realmofotalk]

He's already using some of the Giants' money to pay off the slain dude's family. What's worse is that the family appears willing to take the G's and say "screw justice."

Pablo Peguero, the Giants' representative for Latin America, said Friday that 19-year-old Angel Villalona can't join the team in the United States because the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic has revoked his visa.

Dominican prosecutor Jose Antonio Polanco said Tuesday that Villalona offered the family of the man he allegedly killed nearly $140,000 to drop the case against him. He alleged the first baseman paid $55,000 and expected to offer another $83,000.

Polanco said the family viewed the payment as compensation for the killing of 25-year-old Mario Felix de Jesus Velete.