The case of Orioles right-hander Alfredo Simon’s involvement in a fatal New Year’s Eve shooting apparently is over. Simon has been cleared of any wrongdoing, his representatives told the Baltimore Sun Tuesday.
What actually happened during the incident that killed 25-year-old Michel Castillo Almonte in the Dominican remains a mystery.
Simon’s hearing scheduled for Tuesday in the Dominican was canceled, the newspaper reported. Hearings had been scheduled twice before but witnesses did not show. According to Associated Press, experts earlier testified that the fatal wounds were not caused by a bullet from Simon’s gun.
AP reported Tuesday that Simon was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter; the Sun reported that Simon never was charged even though he spent two months in jail.
Simon denied the allegations from the time he was taken into custody, though he reportedly admitted he fired a gun into the air while bringing in the New Year. The victim’s family earlier dropped a lawsuit against Simon.
Simon, 29, finished the season in the Orioles rotation after missing the first several weeks of the season. He finished 4-9 with a 4.90 ERA.