Baltimore Orioles reliever Alfredo Simon surrendered to police Monday to face a murder charge in a fatal shooting New Year's Eve. His lawyer said he was firing celebratory shots in the air. The Dominican pitcher is suspected of killing 25-year-old Michel Castillo Almonte and wounding his 17-year-old brother in the northeast coastal town of Luperon. The dead man is Simon's cousin, according to the player's lawyer. Simon could face up to 30 years in prison if found guilty. He is to appear at the Puerto Plata courthouse for arraignment later in the day. Simon's lawyer, Carlos Olivares, told The Associated Press his client fired random shots with a group of local boys. But he believes Simon could not have been the shooter because the player's cousin was shot in the chest. "We are giving the weapon so that the national police can do the pertinent ballistics tests," Olivares said. Ballistics tests should be completed in the next 48 hours, according to Dominican Police Chief Jose Polanco. Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5984195
