Pirates scandal as Oneil Cruz accused of using "fixer" after crash that killed three people

Pittsburgh Pirates star Oneil Cruz is facing renewed scrutiny over a 2020 car crash in the Dominican Republic that killed three people, after a new investigation alleged that a well-connected "fixer" helped make the criminal case disappear.

Cruz , then one of Pittsburgh's leading prospects, was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee when he rear-ended a motorcycle carrying Yohan Saba Mercado, Deby Beato Charles and Daniela Perez Garcia at high speed.

Prosecutors initially accused Cruz of reckless driving and causing an accident resulting in death. Authorities also said after the crash that there was evidence he had consumed alcohol, although he wasn't ultimately prosecuted for driving while intoxicated.

Families received about $66,000 in settlements

The latest allegations center on businessman Santo Caraballo , who reportedly became involved after the crash and helped negotiate agreements with the three victims' families.

Those families received roughly $66,000 combined in return for documents withdrawing "penal, civil or judicial" claims against Cruz .

Mercedes Garcia, Daniela's mother , said she never wanted money and instead wanted Cruz held accountable.

"Rich people, especially baseball players, like to pay for dead people with money. I am poor, but I have honor," Garcia said.

Daniela's father, Porfirio Perez , also spoke about the settlement process and how he felt treated.

"Because they saw that I'm a simple person, they took advantage of me," Perez said.

Oneil Cruz case was eventually dismissed

The criminal proceedings were ultimately dismissed after the families withdrew their claims, allowing Cruz to continue his baseball career and eventually reach the major leagues with Pittsburgh.

Cruz's lawyer, Amauris Vasquez Disla , defended the outcome while acknowledging the scale of the tragedy.

He described what happened as "a profound tragedy for all parties involved, especially the victims' families."

The Pirates have also stood behind the previous legal resolution, saying the organization and Cruz "addressed this matter more than six years ago."

The new reporting doesn't overturn the Dominican court's dismissal, but it raises serious questions about how the case was resolved and the role money and influential connections may have played.

For the families of the three people killed, the legal case may have ended years ago, but the consequences clearly have not.