Police: Giants' prospect a suspect in killing

The Associated Press

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — 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.

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September 20, 2009 06:41 PM EDT

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