Former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez is currently in jail and was denied bail twice and now he is joined by two other alleged accomplices in the murder, as both Carlos Ortiz and Ernest Wallace are in custody now after being taken in by police.
According to USA Today, friends of Ortiz said outside court on Friday that he did not have any connection to the murder and that he did not even know Hernandez at all. Ortiz was reportedly teary eyed in court and tattoos could be seen on his arms and neck, much like the ones Hernandez has. The case involves the shooting of a 27-year-old semi-pro football player named Odin Lloyd and Ortiz was arrested after Hernandez in Connecticut and he is being extradited to Massachusetts, which is one reason why he was in court.
Lloyd was shot five times and his body was found in an industrial park a mile from Hernandez's home in North Attleborough and Ortiz is accused of being a part of the crime. Hernandez is facing possible life in prison for the charges and he also now is being investigated in a double murder from last year in Boston that was a drive-by shooting. Hernandez had a bail hearing and an arraignment over the past two days that revealed numerous details, including that he had two people from out of state come in and get involved in the incident,
Ernest Wallace is reportedly the other man and after police put out an alert for him, he was apprehended in Florida on Friday and his car was found in Bristol. Ortiz was in a red jumpsuit and he had a number of friends and relatives in court, who said to USA Today afterwards that he has three children and that he is a quiet person who did not even know Hernandez. Milton Montesdeoca said that police made a huge mistake in arresting him and that it is impossible that he could have been persuaded to take part in the killing.
Known as Charlie by friends, Ortiz is looked at as the second person involved in the crime and his cousin also added that he is not the murdering type and that while he might be in trouble for various things like larceny, assault and criminal mischief, that isn't murder.
"I've been hanging around the guy for years," he said. "I never heard him mention Aaron once. If Charlie knew Aaron Hernandez, I would have met him."
