A Connecticut man sentenced to 30 years in prison for a 1992 felony murder conviction has been arrested in connection with a road-rage shooting that killed a grandfather in Bridgeport, city police said.
Jorge “George” Ortiz, 57, was arrested Monday after a brief foot chase, ending a weeklong search. Bridgeport police charged him 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 confrontation around 9 a.m. Oct. 12. Batista, a grandfather, had recently buried his 25-year-old son, an Air Force airman.
Nelson Batista is pictured in a family photo. (Batista family)
Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter said Ortiz and Batista did not know each other.
“This was a random act,” Porter told reporters during a briefing announcing the arrest, held just hours before Batista’s funeral.
The affidavit says surveillance video showed a man identified as Ortiz following a woman along Park Avenue while Batista turned his SUV onto a side street. Ortiz allegedly slapped the side of the vehicle, causing Batista to stop and exit.
Ortiz allegedly punched Batista, and the two men fell into a struggle. The video appeared to show them fighting over a handgun before Bridgeport’s ShotSpotter system detected at least two gunshots. The medical examiner determined that one bullet struck Batista in the chest.
Air Force senior airman Pierce Batista, the victim’s 25-year-old son, had been buried only days before his father was killed. (Pierce Batista/Facebook)
Batista was taken to a hospital, where he died.
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Police said community members played a key role in locating Ortiz. A woman recorded part of the confrontation on her cellphone, while other witnesses helped investigators identify the suspect.
Video recorded from inside a vehicle captured part of the fight. It showed the attacker standing, striking Batista in the head with the butt of a pistol and fleeing as Batista lay motionless in the street.
Jorge “George” Ortiz, 57, faces a murder charge in the daylight shooting in Bridgeport, Connecticut. His criminal history includes a 1992 felony murder conviction that resulted in a 30-year prison sentence. (Bridgeport Police Department)
A detective recognized Ortiz from previous encounters, including one in March, the affidavit states. Ortiz had been arrested then on misdemeanor drug charges in a case that remains pending. Police also received a tip from a man who said he could identify Ortiz in the photograph.
Court records show Ortiz was sentenced to 30 years for felony murder in 1992. He was no longer on parole when Batista was killed.
Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter speaks at a briefing about the arrest of Jorge “George” Ortiz in the shooting death of Connecticut grandfather Nelson Batista. (Bridgeport Police Department)
An online obituary says Batista’s son’s funeral took place in Louisiana on Oct. 3.
Batista’s obituary described him as an enthusiastic Major League Baseball and NFL fan, with a particular love for the New York Yankees. He was the father of six children and the grandfather of three.
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