The family of Wilson Ramos still has not heard from the kidnappers who abducted the Nationals catcher on Wednesday, Tigres de Aragua spokeswoman Kathe Vilera said via Twitter on Friday afternoon. That is Wilson Ramos’ club in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. But reports from Caracas-based newspaper Ultimas Noticias say a second car employed by the armed gunmen during the kidnapping has been found near the city of Bejuma and that up to 300 Venezuelan police and military members were searching “a mountainous area in western Carabobo state”. That is the state where Ramos grew up in the city of Valencia.
The group charged with investigating the case – the Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigative Body (CICPC) – issued a press release on Friday morning squelching rumors that Ramos’ body had been found. It confirmed that sketches have been made of two of the three suspects who ushered Ramos into a 2007 Chevrolet Captiva in front of his mother’s home in the St. Ines neighborhood of Valencia, a city in north central Venezuela about 108 miles from the capital of Caracas. Those sketches will be released to the media later Friday.
The CICPC release confirmed the Chevrolet Captiva information that had leaked to the media on Thursday and said it appears that the kidnappers burned the vehicle to prevent forensic evidence from falling into the hands of authorities.
At 6 p.m. – almost exactly 48 hours after the kidnapping – local fans began a candlelight vigil outside the center field gates at National Park, where a minute of silence was held for Ramos. Family friend Marfa Mata also tweeted Friday afternoon from Venezuela that the Ramos’ family has still not received word from the kidnappers. During el Tigres home game tonight against Tiburones de la Guaira a banner adorned the outfield wall that read simply: Free Wilson
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