Omar Ortiz

Omar Ortiz
Personal information
Full name Omar Ortiz Uribe
Date of birth (1976-03-13) March 13, 1976
Place of birth Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997-2001 Monterrey 30 (0)
2001-2003 Atletico Celaya 32 (0)
2002 → Monterrey (loan) 17 (0)
2003 → Necaxa (loan) 7 (0)
2003-2007 Chiapas 162 (0)
2008-2009 Necaxa 38 (0)
2009 Atlante 0 (0)
2009-2010 Monterrey
Total 286 (0)
National team
2002 Mexico Mexico 1 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Omar Ortiz Uribe (born 13 March 1976) is a former Mexican football goalkeeper. He made his debut in 1997 with Club de Fútbol Monterrey among others.

He later spent several successful seasons at Atletico Celaya and Jaguares de Chiapas. During his time at Celaya, he earned one cap for Mexico, which came against Guatemala during the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Ortiz made his Atlante debut on February 25, 2009 during a CONCACAF Champions League semi-final against Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer. In May 2010, he was banned from football for two years for twice testing positive for the banned steroids oxymetholone and masteron.[1]

Ortiz is popularly known for his nickname El Gato (English: The Cat) for his "feline face" and colored-eyes.[2]

Arrest

On January 6, 2012 rumors began to spread of him being kidnapped,[3] but it was later confirmed that the Mexican authorities had arrested him outside his home in Monterrey after two kidnapping suspects were detained and confessed his involvement in the kidnappings.[4] After a couple of days, Ortiz's family members decided to report on his disappearance, but the authorities first refused to comment on the incident.[5] Upon his arrest, Ortiz was charged for working with a gang responsible for at least 20 kidnappings, among them the abduction of Gloria Trevi's husband in 2011.[6] The 35-year-old Ortiz admitted to have picked out two rich people for the kidnapping ring, since his job was to select wealthy families from his same social circle.[7] The gang allegedly demanded around 1 million pesos ($59,500 US dollars [Nov. 2015]) for the release of each victim.[8] He later confessed that the kidnapping ring was working for the infamous criminal organization known as the Gulf Cartel.[9][10]

Reports from the government of Nuevo León mentioned that Ortiz had an addiction to cocaine.[11] In fact, La Jornada newspaper mentions that Ortiz became part of the kidnapping ring due to his drug addiction.[12] Ortiz also confessed to have experienced "financial problems" after he was banned for playing professional football for two years after consuming illegal substances.[13] George W. Grayson, a drug war analyst and expert of Mexican politics, said that Ortiz's arrest shows the "possible ubiquity of organized crime [in Mexico]."[14]

He was sent to a prison in Cadereyta, Nuevo León.[15] If convicted, Ortiz and his collaborators may face up to 50 years in prison.[16]

References

  1. ↑ "Omar Ortiz Uribe banned for positive steroid test". Fourfourtwo.com. 2010-05-10. Retrieved 2012-01-08.
  2. ↑ Cordera, Santiago (10 January 2012). "Un 'Gato' de garras muy peligrosas". Yahoo! News (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  3. ↑ "Mexican Soccer Star "El Gato" Arrested in Kidnapping Case". Fox News. 8 January 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  4. ↑ "Suspended Mexican Soccer Goalie Detained in Kidnap". ABC News. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  5. ↑ "Reportan desaparición del 'Gato' Ortiz, ex portero Rayado". El Universal (in Spanish). 6 January 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  6. ↑ "Mexican footballer arrested over links to kidnapping gang". The Guardian. London. 8 January 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  7. ↑ "Omar 'El Gato' Ortiz arrested". ESPN. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  8. ↑ Sandle, Tim. "Mexican footballer Omar Ortiz arrested in kidnap-ring scandal". Digital Journal. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  9. ↑ Sanchez, Ray (8 January 2012). "Omar Ortiz: Mexican Soccer Goalie Arrested For Alleged Role In Kidnapping Of Pop Star Gloria Trevi's Husband". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  10. ↑ "Mexico goalkeeper arrested over kidnappings". Al Jazeera. 8 January 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  11. ↑ Garza, Aracely. "Acusan al portero de Monterrey El Gato Ortiz de secuestrador". Excelsior (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  12. ↑ Arroyo, Maria Alejandra. "El futbolista Gato Ortiz, arrestado por secuestro". La Jornada (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  13. ↑ ""El Gato" Ortiz presentado a las autoridades". Adiccion Rayada (in Spanish). 7 January 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2012.
  14. ↑ Lopez, Gabriela (8 January 2012). "Mexico goalkeeper arrested for helping kidnap gang". Reuters. Retrieved 8 January 2012.
  15. ↑ "El exportero acusado de secuestro Omar Ortiz fue internado en un penal". CNNMexico (in Spanish). 20 January 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  16. ↑ "Suspended Mexican soccer goalie detained in kidnap". Albany Times Union. Retrieved 9 January 2012.

The paintings of artist Omar Ortiz (2014)

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