Austin Police on Thursday publicly identified a suspect in a road rage murder case. Police said images on the victim’s cell phone led them to Juan de Dios Carbajal-Jaimes, 18, who now faces a first-degree murder charge, according to an arrest warrant.
Officials offered up to a $1,000 reward for information leading to his arrest, and he was described as armed and dangerous.
Carbajal-Jaimes was accused in the arrest warrant of shooting Alfred Lockett, 48, Tuesday afternoon after their cars collided.
Investigators looked through Lockett’s cell phone and found two photographs taken six minutes before the first 911 calls came in.
One photograph “displayed the male [Carbajal-Jaimes] raising his right hand toward the victim while pointing his index finger,” according to the arrest warrant.
Witnesses told police it looked like Lockett’s car was chasing Carbajal-Jaimes’ car after the collision. They pulled into the parking lot of a business.
Police said the driver in the Toyota Camry, identified as Carbajal-Jaimes, got out of his car, walked up to Lockett’s car and fired shots.
As of Thursday afternoon, Carbajal-Jaimes was still wanted, and Austin Police said, “If seen, call 9-1-1 immediately.”
Officers found the Toyota abandoned less than a mile from the scene later that day. It was missing its rear bumper and license plates.
If drivers are ever involved in a road rage incident, Austin Police urge them not to follow the other driver.
“If you’re put in a situation where you are a victim of road rage, your best bet is to distance yourself from the situation,” Lieutenant Jason Staniszewski said. “Call [police]. Don’t engage the other person. Just be really careful out there, especially if someone is driving aggressively toward you.”
(KXAN.com contributed to this report.)
