REPORT: Police Looking for Former Chicago Cubs Prospect Accused of Shooting Friend to Death (UPDATE)

Jarring news out of the Dominican Republic tonight, as former Chicago Cubs prospect Josefrailin Alcántara is reportedly being sought by police after the shooting death of 26-year-old Darwin Díaz Valerio in Santiago.

The report suggests there was an argument between Alcántara and Díaz Valerio about a debt, there was a shooting, and Díaz Valerio died. Alcántara, 18, reportedly fled after receiving medical treatment, and police are still looking for him.

Hector Gomez also tweeted about the story (note that the image is just a picture of Josefrailin Alcántara at his signing with the Cubs last year):

The report, from Diario Libre, seems to suggest Alcántara was being released by, or had already been released by, the Cubs. I can’t find a transaction to that effect just yet, and he still shows as an active Cubs prospect on his MiLB.com page. (UPDATE: The Chicago Tribune reports that the Cubs say Alcántara was away from the team on a suspension, and has subsequently been released.)

Obviously the baseball implications of any news like this pale in comparison to the human cost. It’s a tragedy, one way or another.

Alcántara was signed by the Cubs last year in International Free Agency, and at a $500,000 bonus, he was one of the larger signings in the class (fourth largest, behind Adan Sanchez, Jefferson Rojas, and Alexis Hernández). He played last year in the Dominican Summer League, hitting .136/.282/.254 over 40 games.