Odd story about Cal Ripken:
Hurt, naked man shows up at Ripken home
Victim had been shot; he says he was kidnapped, forced to strip, then flee By Julie Bell
Sun Staff
Originally published November 28, 2003
A man naked and bleeding from a bullet wound in the back turned up at the Baltimore County home of retired Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken last night, pleading for help, county police said. The victim, described by police only as a white male in his 20s, was found shortly after 9 p.m. Police spokeswoman Sgt. Vickie Warehime said the man told police he had been kidnapped near his home in Baltimore City by three men in a white Lexus. Nine hours later, the man reported, he was released in a field near Ripken's home, on the west side of Dover Road near Tufton Avenue, where he was told to strip naked and start running. The man said he heard several shots and was struck once in the back, police said. Investigators found blood near Dover Road, and followed it across the road, over a fence and onto Ripken's front porch. Without identifying Ripken, Warehime said, "The homeowner called and said there was a man banging on his door and he didn't know what was going on." He called back a short time later and said the victim appeared to have been shot. Police said the first calls came from passers-by who reported seeing a man running naked from the woods. A police dispatcher confirmed that Ripken had called to report the wounded man. Officers were dispatched at 9:09 p.m. and arrived at Ripken's home to find the victim naked, with a gunshot wound to the back, lying on the front porch. The man was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center by MedEvac. His condition was unknown late last night. Police did not release his name. "We still don't know why the shooting occurred, why he was kidnapped in Baltimore City and why nine hours later he ends up on Dover Road," Warehime said. Baltimore City police spokesman Troy Harris said, "At this point it's going to be a joint investigation. ... We're just finding out about it right now." A woman who answered the intercom at Ripken's front gate said, "I'm sorry, there's no comment tonight."
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