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Orioles' Simon Surrenders, Faces Involuntary Manslaughter Charge

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (WJZ/AP) -- Baltimore Orioles reliever Alfredo Simon surrendered to police Monday to face an involuntary manslaughter charge in a fatal shooting New Year's Eve. His lawyer said he was firing celebratory shots in the air.

Mike Hellgren reports the Dominican pitcher is suspected of killing Michel Castillo Almonte, 25, and wounding his 17-year-old brother in the northeast coastal town of Luperon. The dead man is Simon's cousin, according to the player's lawyer.

Police initially said a murder charge would be filed against Simon, but Public Prosecutor Victor Mueses told The Associated Press on Monday that witness accounts and evidence support an involuntary manslaughter charge instead.

"The version that we have is that there was a dispute between two women and he tried to dissolve it, fired a shot that ended up wounding a young person in the arm and that same bullet lodged in the chest of the deceased," Mueses said by phone.

Simon's lawyer says the Oriole was firing celebratory shots and he didn't know anyone was injured until almost 45 minutes later, well after he left the scene.

Simon is to appear at the Puerto Plata courthouse for arraignment later in the day. He could face up to two years in prison if found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Mueses, the public prosecutor in Puerto Plata, said he will request three months of preventive detention for Simon while the case is pending.

Simon's lawyer, Carlos Olivares, told the AP his client fired random shots with a group of local boys. But he believes Simon could not have been the shooter because the player's cousin was shot in the chest.

"We are giving the weapon so that the national police can do the pertinent ballistics tests," Olivares said.

Simon had to surrender his weapon. He says he had it legally. Ballistics test should be completed in the next 48 hours, according to Dominican Police Chief Jose Polanco.

Some Dominicans shoot guns in the air on New Year's Eve especially in the hours leading to midnight, although authorities have repeatedly warned against the practice. Bystanders are killed or wounded every New Year's Eve.

Simon was accompanied to the police station by Julio Lugo, the free agent second baseman for the Orioles.

"He is scared because he recognizes that he fired shots, although they went into the air," said Lugo, who advised Simon to surrender after he fled the scene.

The injured teenager was shot in the right arm and remains hospitalized in the Dominican city of Santiago.

Simon's case is front page news in papers across the Dominican Republic. He told one of them, "I regret this situation.  The young man who lost his life is like my brother."

He also said he wants to clarify circumstances surrounding the shooting and he's confident in the justice system.

He's got some expensive and prominent attorneys there.  WJZ's media partner, The Baltimore Sun, reports Simon's former teammate, Miguel Tejada, is paying the legal bills.

"We give 100 percent effort, and that's the only thing we can ask for," said Lugo.

Simon joined Baltimore in 2008 but was quickly sidelined with an injury. The 29-year-old pitcher went 4-2 with a 4.93 ERA last season. He had 17 saves.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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