A Connecticut man once sentenced to 30 years in prison for a 1992 felony murder conviction is facing a new murder charge after police say he fatally shot a grandfather during a road rage confrontation in Bridgeport.
Jorge “George” Ortiz, 57, was arrested Monday following a short foot chase, bringing a week-long search to an end, Bridgeport police said. He is charged with murder, criminal possession of a pistol and carrying a pistol without a permit.
According to a police affidavit, Ortiz allegedly shot 48-year-old Nelson Batista during a road rage encounter around 9 a.m. on Oct. 12. Batista had recently buried his 25-year-old son, an Air Force airman.
Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter said Ortiz and Batista did not know each other.
“This was a random act,” Porter told reporters at a news conference announcing the arrest, held just hours before Batista’s funeral.
Police said surveillance footage shows a man identified as Ortiz following a woman along Park Avenue before Batista turned his SUV onto a side street, according to the affidavit.
The suspect allegedly slapped the side of the vehicle, causing the driver to stop and step outside.
Ortiz allegedly threw the first punch, and the two men fell to the ground during a struggle. The affidavit says video later showed them fighting over control of a handgun.
Bridgeport’s ShotSpotter gunfire detection system recorded at least two shots. The medical examiner determined that one bullet struck Batista in the chest.
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Batista was taken to a hospital, where he died.
Police said community members played a key role in the arrest. A woman recorded part of the confrontation on her cellphone, while other witnesses helped investigators identify the suspect.
Video recorded from inside a vehicle appears to show part of the fight, including the attacker rising, striking Batista in the head with the butt of a pistol and fleeing while Batista remained motionless in the street.
A detective recognized Ortiz from previous encounters, including one in March, the affidavit states. Ortiz had been arrested in that case on misdemeanor drug charges, which remain pending.
Investigators also received a tip from a man who said he could identify Ortiz as the person shown in a photograph.
Court records indicate that Ortiz was sentenced to 30 years in prison for felony murder in 1992.
Police said he was no longer on parole when Batista was killed.
An online obituary states that Batista’s son’s funeral took place in Louisiana on Oct. 3.
Batista’s obituary described him as a devoted fan of Major League Baseball and the NFL, with a particular affection for the New York Yankees.
He was the father of six children and grandfather to three.