Pitcher Jailed Over Machete Attack

Ugueth Urbina Faces Attempted Murder Charge In Venezuela

(AP) 
Urbina was with his mother and other relatives late Monday at another of Urbina's homes on the outskirts of Caracas when the police came with an arrest warrant, Tamayo said. He called the arrest "inexplicable."

"Aside from whether a person is guilty of a crime or not, if there is no danger of flight or obstruction of justice, that person has a right to be tried while free," Tamayo said.

The lawyer said Urbina has cooperated with the authorities all along, noting he has come to the police voluntarily to provide testimony.

Phillies spokeswoman Leigh Tobin said the team had no immediate comment because it had just learned of the arrest.

The violence broke out at the ranch house where Urbina's mother, Maura Villareal, lives about 25 miles south of Caracas.

Police initially said the violence broke out in a dispute over a handgun.

But Urbina's lawyer has said the pitcher surprised the workers by showing up at the ranch that night while they were bathing in the pool without permission. He said Urbina spoke sharply to them, but later left and went to sleep.

Urbina has said the case comes down to people trying to take advantage of him.

This was the second violent incident in a little more than a year for the Urbina family. Urbina's mother was kidnapped by drug traffickers in September 2004 and held for a $6 million ransom.

She was rescued five months later in a mountainous zone in southern Venezuela. The authorities described her captors as Venezuelan and Colombian drug traffickers.

The 31-year-old Urbina has a 44-49 record with 237 saves and a 3.45 ERA in 11 seasons.