This sounds like something out of an action movie, but unfortunately it was all too real. Detroit Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski confirmed today that Tigers pitcher Brayan Villarreal's family were the subject of a kidnapping attempt Friday night in Venezuela.
According to ESPN this story is all too scary and all too real.
Villarreal's agent Hector Gomez said an attack occurred in San Diego, Valencia, about 112 miles from Caracas. This isn't the first time MLB players have been threatened or had a family member threatened or kidnapped in their home country.
Gomez spoke out against this threat as a warning to other players about the dangers that their families could be facing in Venezuela.
"The guys put a gun in the mouth of Brayan's father and his little 14-year-old brother, threatening that they would return and kidnap everybody if they said anything to the police. When the authorities reached the house to investigate if something was going on, they threatened everyone to not open the door," Gomez said Sunday.
Fortunately no one was harmed and the Villarreal family appears to be safe.
ESPN also reported that kidnappings have increased substantially in the past few years with more than 600 accounted for in 2009.
Last November, Wilson Ramos of the Washington Nationals was kidnapped and thankfully rescued. San Diego Padres shortstop Alexi Amarista wasn't as fortunate back in 2010 when his father was murdered during the robbery of an expensive watch.
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