10 shots fired in fatal Mission road rage incident

A 23-year-old Mission man was arrested April 16 in connection with a fatal road rage confrontation that occurred earlier this month. Briaham Alexis Pena is charged with murder for the road rage shooting death of Jose Cruz Jr.

The deadly encounter happened about 8:57 p.m., April 8, in the 2500 block of W. Expressway 83. When officers arrived on the scene, they reported finding the Cruz inside his truck with eight gunshot wounds, including one in the head. Further investigation revealed the victim’s truck had eight bullet holes on the passenger’s side door and two bullet holes on the driver side window.

Cruz was transported to McAllen Medical Center where he succumbed to his wounds.

A subsequent investigation identified Peña as the suspect in the fatal shooting, but he had fled to Mexico in the aftermath of the confrontation. According to police Peña surrendered himself at the international bridge in Rio Grande City on Sunday, April 14. During interviews with investigators, Peña suggested Cruz initiated the incident.

Peña has since been arraigned on a murder charge and remains behind bars in the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center under a $2 million bond.

J. Gonzalez Law Firm safety tips

The J. Gonzalez Law Firm wants you to be safe should you ever have the misfortune of encountering an angry driver on the road. We recommend you take the following actions to avoid or minimize the conflict.

Let it go

Road rage encounters often involve one person who is in a hurry. We advise you to just get out of their way and allow the driver to pass and move on. Consider pulling over for a moment to calm down before you continue driving — residual anxiety can still affect your driving even if the incident is over.

Don’t make eye contact

Angry drivers may want to intimidate you, or could actively encourage conflict by staying next to your vehicle. Ignore them and focus on the road. Aggressive drivers will often move on when ignored.

Contact police

If an angry driver refuses to stop harassing you, contact the police to report any dangerous behavior, but only when it’s safe to do so. Be prepared to provide any identifying information, including a description of the offending vehicle, its license plate number, as well as your location and direction of travel.

Don’t go home or find a safe place to stop

Aggressive drivers will sometimes to continue to follow you, so you do not want to allow such a person to find out where you live. Instead, you should drive to a busy public site with witnesses or, better yet, a police station. Keep your windows up and the car doors locked.

What to do if a road rage driver injures you

The first thing you should do is seek medical attention for your injuries. Second, you’ll want to contact police to file a report. It’s understandable to be rattled, but as best you can, you should note the driver’s appearance, their car, and their license plate number so you can report them once the incident is over.

Finally, contact the J. Gonzalez Law Firm. If you are injured by a road rage driver, you are entitled to compensation for your physical and emotional injuries. Oure team of expert personal injury attorneys have recovered millions of dollars in damages for people who have been injured by the neglect or hostility of others. Call us today for a free consultation about the specifics of your case. Call 1-800-CAR-CRASH now!

Source: https://myrgv.com/local-news/2024/04/18/10-shots-fired-in-fatal-mission-road-rage-murder