ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay Rays postseason star Randy Arozarena has been arrested in Mexico after an apparent domestic dispute involving his young daughter, according to the player's agent.
Arozarena is expected to be held in custody for 48 hours and is scheduled to meet with his attorney this evening. It is unclear what charges he is being held under.
"The only thing I know is he was hyper-sensitive about making sure that the child's needs were being taken care of," said his agent, Abel Guerra. "He was always sending money down there, and he was very involved in her life. I don't want to speculate about (anything else)."
The Rays are aware of the reports, but have not yet commented.
Two Mexican newspapers reported Arozarena's arrest — one suggested the charge involved the abduction of his daughter and the other said he was accused of violence against his ex-wife — but neither included attribution from law enforcement authorities.
According to the Yucatan Ahora, Arozarena tried to leave with his daughter after arriving at her home with gifts. The newspaper said he fought with his former father-in-law, although Guerra said Arozarena was never married to the mother of the child.
The newspaper reported that neighbors heard the commotion and later stopped Arozarena's car from leaving the area until police arrived. A video on social media appears to show Arozarena talking to police and arguing with a woman at an intersection.
The Diaro de Yucatan said Arozarena was arrested on a charge of violence against a woman.
"When it comes to family issues there are always layers of complexity. Everything is perspective," said Guerra, who had not spoken to Arozarena but had been in contact with family members. "Hopefully everything clears itself up. It's a horrible, unfortunate situation."
Arozarena, 25, has one other child with a woman he married earlier this month in Mexico.
The rookie outfielder left Cuba on a small boat in 2015 and settled in Mexico before being signed to a contract by the St. Louis Cardinals. The Rays acquired him in a trade from St. Louis last year, and he became a breakout star in the postseason with a bevy of hitting records.
