Aroldis Chapman's girlfriend Claudia Manrique

PHOTOS

THE STORY

• Aroldis Chapman is quickly emerging as the one of the most feared late inning relievers in baseball, and it should come as no surprise that the formerly single Chapman may want to hook up with the occasional stripper. It's pretty safe to assume that as fun as the relationship may have been, he wasn't going to be prepared for this.
  
  Aroldis Chapman has been dating Claudia Manrique since approximately April. Manrique is a 26 year old Colombian native who has since moved to Silver Springs, MD where she is working as a stripper. According to Chapman, Manrique would occasionally meet up with him in various cities the Reds were playing in, when she had an opportunity to travel. One of those times occurred in Pittsburgh on May 29, when Cincinnati started a 3 game series with the Pirates. Shortly after Chapman traveled to the park to put in his day's work, Manrique was left alone in their hotel room.
  
  Several guests staying on the same floor as Chapman and Manrique called hotel staff and police when they heard screaming coming from their room. When police arrived on the scene they discovered Manrique bound by cloth napkins. Manrique told police that a man knocked identifying himself as maintenance there to fix a toilet. When Manrique allowed him entry to the room, the man brandished a gun, and took jewelry, clothing, a computer, credit cards and ID cards.
  
  As the Pittsburgh Post Gazette continued their investigation into the case, they learned that police were reviewing various discrepancies in her story. The most glaring issue surrounded a Louis Vuitton bag containing more than $200,000 of Chapman's jewelry, which the robber demanded she turn over and caused him to demolish the room in an effort to find the bag. Police questioned her with how the man knew of the existence of such bag, and began looking further. Manrique was put through a polygraph test, which indicated she was not being truthful with her account. When confronted with this, she changed her story. According to the Post Gazette:

  Ms. Manrique eventually changed her story, saying the robber first approached her at a CVS pharmacy and threatened to harm her friend in Silver Spring if she did not give him her room number. The man showed up a few hours later, and she let him in, fearing for her friend's safety.

  Things continue to get cloudy when considering some circumstantial evidence. According to Chapman, Manrique had been receiving calls throughout their stay in Pittsburgh demanding sums of money between $9,000 and $30,000 on a debt for helping her gain access to the country. Chapman also indicates that she was acting oddly during the trip and asked to book an earlier flight home. 
  
  An ex-boyfriend (whom she was dating immediately before Chapman) also alleges that Manrique recently stole $2,000 from him by accessing his online bank account. This same ex confirmed to WTAE in Pittsburgh thatManrique is currently married, though also indicates that she is only married for green card purposes. In what might be the most interesting twist of all: Manrique's husband picked her up from the police station following questioning.

Posted in: WAG's