A New York man has died in what investigators believe was a road rage incident. The beloved father of four, Fausto Garcia Rodriguez, 40, had just had dinner with his mother when a minor car accident occurred. The shooting that followed blindsided family and friends.
The New York Daily News reported via People that Rodriguez called 911 for help before he was fatally shot, but authorities were too late. His family is now left to mourn the loss.
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The incident occurred in the Bronx.
The car accident and fatal shooting happened around 10 p.m. on the Cross Bronx Expressway, according to ABC 7 NY.
The news outlet reported that the accident was minor and no one was injured. The other driver ran away when Rodriguez left his car to assess the damage. The suspect returned shortly afterward with another man in a gray Toyota Rav4.
The men argued.
After the man involved in the accident returned, he and Rodriguez reportedly argued. The other man allegedly fatally shot Rodriguez and drove away. When emergency personnel arrived, they took Rodriguez to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The single father was a dedicated employee at an auto shop in the Bronx.
Rodriguez worked at Xtreme Quality Collision & General Mechanic, ABC 7 NY reported. His loved ones created a memorial outside the shop for the man they will miss dearly.
"He always was happy. He never was mad or never argued with anyone," friend Luisa Checo told ABC 7 NY. She added that he was a good person who never got into trouble with anyone.
Rodriguez was a loving father to his four kids.
According to a GoFundMe account set up by his sister, Cruz Bautista, Rodriguez was a loving father to his four children. ABC 7 NY reported that he was raising his three kids as a single dad and had a fourth adult child living in the Dominican Republic.
His family and friends are heartbroken about the man they say "left this world before his time."
Loved ones left words of encouragement on the fundraising page, which has raised half of its goal. "He was a really good friend who was always there for the people he loved and cared about," one comment reads.
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Police are looking for the shooter and his accomplice.
The alleged shooter drove away from the shooting scene in the Toyota, which police found abandoned a short time later, ABC 7 NY reported. Police are actively looking to identify the men involved in the incident. They have not named a suspect.
CBS News reported police are looking for tips to help lead to the killer. Tipsters should call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Police also will accept tips via their website or via DM on X, formerly known as Twitter, @NYPDTips. Any information will be kept confidential.
