Wander Franco was arrested following a gun-related altercation in the parking lot

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, who is awaiting trial on charges of sexually abusing a minor, was arrested Monday in the Dominican Republic following a gun-drawn incident, according to ESPN.

Franco, 23, was involved in an argument in the parking lot of an apartment complex in San Juan de la Maguana on Sunday.

Franco and an unnamed woman have been held for questioning by local authorities since Monday afternoon.

In 2023, Franco was under investigation after a formal complaint was made in July over an alleged inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old girl.

In July 2024, Franco was formally charged with sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and human trafficking of minors, which led to Major League Baseball placing him on the restricted list.

He is scheduled to stand trial in that case in December and Sunday's incident is believed to be unrelated.

According to Dominican police, Franco was not allowed to leave the country as he awaited trial in the first case, but he was legally allowed to carry a weapon.

According to Dominican law, possession of the weapon requires possession of a license and registration of the weapon.

Franco is under contract with the Tampa Bay Rays through at least 2032, his age-31 season.

In 2021, 70 games into his major league career, the franchise signed him to an 11-year, $182 million contract extension.

Franco, who finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2021 and earned his first All-Star selection in 2023, did not play in 2024 for legal reasons.