Morning Briefing | The Reds in Dayton

The Cincinnati Reds played a group of its organization’s top prospects in an exhibition game at Day Air Ballpark last night.

In today’s Morning Briefing, we give you all the details about the game, which marked the fourth time the Reds have played at the stadium before the start of the regular season. We also tell you about the immigration case of Jose Antonio Alvarenga and his wife’s efforts to have him released from custody.

If you have thoughts or feedback on this newsletter or other news tips, please let me know at Greg.Lynch@coxinc.com.

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The newsletter should take about 3 minutes, 58 seconds to read.

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Reds visit Dayton two days before Opening Day

The Cincinnati Reds played an exhibition game in Dayton on Tuesday night, pitting themselves against a team of top minor league prospects.

• Happy anniversary: The game celebrated and kicks off the Dayton Dragons’ 25th anniversary season.

• Return to Dayton: The game featured many former Dragons players, including infielders Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain.

• First timer: Tuesday’s game was the first time in Ballpark for new Reds manager Terry Francona, who said, “And when they said Dayton, I was kind of excited because I know the history and the sellouts and the excitement here.”

• The game: The prospects won 7-5 with single runs in the eighth and ninth innings. But the early innings, before many fans decided to get out of the cold, provided the most excitement. Click here for a full recap.

• Next up: The Reds will go on to play the San Francisco Giants on Thursday at Great American Ball Park on Opening Day.

Ohio immigration case: Local man taken by ICE, wife says Interpol ID’d wrong man

The federal immigration case of Jose Antonio Alvarenga, who was arrested March 3 in New Lebanon, has torn a local family apart and left Alvarenga’s wife April pleading for his release.

• The family: April (West) Alvarenga, 36, has been together with Antonio Alvarenga, 44, for several years. The couple were married this past New Year’s Eve, but Antonio has treated her four kids, age 11-19, as his own for years.

• Arrested: Antonio came to the United States illegally in 2015. FBI and immigration agents arrested Antonio at their Perry Street home on March 3.

• Red Notice: Antonio was the subject of an Interpol “Red Notice” indicating that he is a fugitive from El Salvador connected to a 2001 homicide, according to a federal agent’s affidavit. Interpol is the International Criminal Police Organization.

• The twist: April says Antonio was arrested for that crime in El Salvador in 2012, and that a court proceeding cleared him. She showed the Dayton Daily News the large Spanish-language court file, along with notarized translations of El Salvadoran court records, calling his arrest a case of mistaken identity, because the person actually wanted for the crime shared Alvarenga’s name.

• What April is saying: “I may never ever get the chance to talk to him again if he goes to El Salvador. How am I supposed to explain that to my kids? Their hopes are still up that he’s going to come home to them. I don’t want to have to explain to them that he’s gone and we’re never going to see or hear from him again.”

• Next steps: An Interpol spokesperson did say there is a process through which anyone who believes a Red Notice is in error can request correction or deletion of the information. Notified of that information on Monday, April Alvarenga said she would follow that procedure.

What to know today

• One big takeaway: Five of seven people indicted in connection to a multi-state chop shop and car theft ring are scheduled to go to trial in federal court in Dayton this summer.

• Tip of the day: Where to find the beautiful cherry blossoms in the Dayton area.

• Big move of the day: Long’s Sideout Sports & Spirits, a new recreation facility with pickleball and sand volleyball, has plans to open this summer.

• Dayton Food & Dining: Michigan-based Big Boy Restaurant Group has opened its first Dolly’s Burgers & Shakes location in the Dayton region, and CEO Tamer Afr said “the goal was to save the brand.”

• Inside Ohio Politics: A former sheriff and a volunteer firefighter — both from this area — serving in the Ohio House want to create a new criminal offense in Ohio law that would outlaw harassing emergency service responders.

• Stat of the day: This past Christmas, some 6% of Americans spent more than $1,000 on gifts for their pets and the majority stated they would spend $51 to $75.

• Thing to do: A musical comedy that bares it all, the most intimate “Camelot” you’ll likely ever see and an empowering female spin on Shakespeare are among shows heading across Dayton stages in April.

• Vintage Dayton: Meet 20 Medal of Honor recipients with ties to the Dayton area.

• Photo of the day: Base Camp Outdoors Co., an outdoor retail company in downtown Dayton, hosted Puppy Yoga with Adopt a Pit this past weekend. Proceeds from the event, led by yoga instructor Anna Shearer, went to benefit the Adopt a Pit rescue. Check out more photos here.