Connecticut Man Arrested After Road Rage Shooting Kills Grandfather

A Connecticut man facing a new murder charge has been arrested in connection with a road rage shooting that killed a grandfather in Bridgeport, city police said late Monday. The suspect is Jorge "George" Ortiz, 57, who was taken after a short foot chase to end a week-long search for the attacker. He now faces counts of murder, criminal possession of a pistol, and carrying a firearm without a permit.

Ortiz is accused of gunning down Nelson Batista, 48, in an incident on Oct. 12 that began at 9 a.m. The victim was recently laid to rest after his 25-year-old Air Force airman son died earlier that year. Ortiz and Batista did not know each other, Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter told reporters during a news briefing just hours before the funeral service took place.

"This was a random act," Porter said at the press conference announcing the arrest.

Surveillance video captured a man identified as Ortiz following a woman down Park Avenue as she turned her SUV into a side street, the affidavit states. Ortiz allegedly slapped his hands on the vehicle's door frame, forcing the driver to stop and exit the car. The victim then punched Ortiz first. They fell to the pavement in a struggle before video showed them fighting over control of a handgun. The city's ShotSpotter system recorded at least two gunshots. A medical examiner later confirmed one bullet struck Batista in the chest. He died at the hospital.

Police credited community tips for locating Ortiz after a woman recorded cellphone video of part of the event and other witnesses helped identify him. Footage from inside a vehicle showed the attacker getting up, striking Batista in the head with the butt of a pistol, then fleeing as the victim lay motionless in the street. A detective recognized Ortiz from past encounters, including one in March involving misdemeanor drug charges that remain pending. Another man also provided a tip identifying Ortiz from a photo.

Court records show Ortiz received a 30-year prison sentence in 1992 for felony murder. He was not on parole when Batista died. Batista's son had his funeral held Oct. 3 in Louisiana, according to an online obituary. The father of six and grandfather of three loved Major League Baseball and the NFL, with a special fondness for the New York Yankees.