Arrest warrant issued for former Royal Alcides Escobar over unpaid child support
An arrest warrant is outstanding for a former Kansas City Royals player and World Series champion after a lengthy legal battle over unpaid child support, court records show.
A Milwaukee County Circuit Court judge issued a nationwide bench warrant for the arrest of Alcides Escobar, 38, in August 2024 for failing to appear in court for a hearing regarding more than $20,000 in unpaid child support payments.
Escobar, the Royals’ starting shortstop from 2010-18, has been playing baseball in Mexican and Venezuelan leagues since 2023.
Court records show he previously paid a portion of the support that was in arrears. On March 3, however, he failed to appear at a contempt hearing.
The case stems from a divorce filed in 2010 between Escobar and his ex-wife Leury Moreno, who has a teenage daughter with Escobar.
“Alcides (Escobar) doesn’t have any contact with our daughter,” Moreno said in a phone call with The Star. “He chose, once we got divorced, to not have contact with her.”
At the March 3 hearing, attorneys representing Moreno and Escobar agreed Escobar’s 401k, through Major League Baseball, would be used to pay his outstanding debt. A court order was issued March 18 directing child support payments to come out of that account.
Lawyers later discovered the retirement account had a zero balance, according to an email sent to Moreno by her attorney March 25.
As of March 21, Escobar owed $27,247 in unpaid child support, according to State of Wisconsin records obtained by The Star.
According to a court order filed March 18, Escobar has also failed to provide health insurance, as legally required in the terms of the divorce. Moreno said health insurance for their daughter was canceled without warning in 2023.
Health bills have been piling up since the insurance was canceled, Moreno said. Their daughter, who the Star is not naming because of privacy concerns, had elbow surgery that was not covered and needs physical therapy, Moreno said.
Escobar’s attorney, Richard Reilly, did not respond to requests for comment.
“It’s just really unfortunate that my client has had to go through this (and) spend the money she’s had to spend to chase him to comply with court orders and help support his child,” Judy O’Connell, Moreno’s attorney, said in a phone call.
A reunion weekend at Kauffman Stadium May 16 and 17 honored Escobar and other Royals players from the team’s 2015 and 1985 World Series championships.
In a phone call with The Star, Moreno said she felt disheartened to see Escobar attend the reunion in KC last weekend despite the active warrant for his arrest.
“It’s very disappointing,” Moreno said. “I think that what bothers me the most is the fact that there’s so many former players that carry themselves with dignity and grace outside the field and (Escobar) is being celebrated with them.”
The Royals declined The Star’s requests for comment Thursday.
Escobar was traded to the Royals from the Milwaukee Brewers in 2010 in a deal that also brought Lorenzo Cain, Jeremy Jeffress and Jake Odorizzi to Kansas City in exchange for Zach Greinke and Yuniesky Betancourt.
Escobar remains known in Kansas City for his contributions during the Royals’ World Series runs of 2014 and 2015. He was the 2015 American League Championship Series MVP after batting .478 in the series. He also won a Gold Glove that year.
Leury Moreno is the daughter of Omar Moreno, who briefly played with the Royals during their 1985 championship season.
This story was originally published May 22, 2025 at 1:30 PM.
