Bridgeport police arrest suspect in fatal road rage shooting

Police in Bridgeport, Connecticut, have arrested 57-year-old Jorge Luis Ortiz in connection with the fatal shooting of Nelson Manuel Batista, a 48-year-old Dominican national. Authorities are investigating the incident as a possible case of road rage.

Batista was found wounded near his vehicle at the intersection of Cottage Street and Park Avenue on the morning of October 12. He was transported to St. Vincent’s Hospital, where he later died. According to his family, Batista had a disability and was heading out to collect medication for high blood pressure at the time of the incident. He had recently returned from California after attending the funeral of his son, a member of the U.S. Air Force.

Ortiz was apprehended on the night of Sunday, October 19, while walking on the East Side of Bridgeport. He reportedly attempted to flee from officers before being detained. At the time of his arrest, Ortiz was not carrying a weapon, but he was already facing an outstanding arrest warrant for murder and illegal possession of a firearm. A judge has set his bail at $2.5 million.