New details have emerged about a case of road rage in Fairfax County last month that left one man dead and another man charged in his death.
Librado Cena, 57, is charged with aggravated malicious wounding for attacking William O'Brien, 63. The victim died from traumatic brain injury ten days after the April 16 assault.
Cena told police he had grown so angry at O'Brien that he "wanted to get out his frustrations," according to a search warrant affidavit filed by Fairfax City police.
The documents reveal that Cena became angry at O'Brien as the two men drove along Pickett Road toward the Fair City Mall. Cena claims that O'Brien honked his horn at him at a traffic light.
The affidavit says Cena told police he was angry and wanted to yell at the driver. Cena then followed O'Brien's vehicle into a Best Buy parking lot.
Court documents say a store surveillance camera captured what happened next.
As O'Brien got out of his car and began walking toward the store, Cena sprinted towards O'Brien and struck him in the head. According to the search warrant, the video shows O'Brien defending himself as a witness approached and yelled at the two men to stop.
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The victim picked up his glasses, which had been knocked to the ground, and continued into the Best Buy where he told a casher he'd been attacked. Cena got back in his car and drove off.
Court documents report about two hours later, after he'd arrived home, O'Brien called 911 to report "a headache that's about to make my head blow off." Responding paramedics had to force their way into the home, where they found O'Brien unconscious on the floor.
O'Brien died from his injuries on April 26 and the medical examiner ruled the death a homicide. Fairfax City police spotted Cena driving his van in the area two days after the attack and pulled him over.
As the officer began to explain why he'd been stopped, Cena said, "There was an incident, I am the person," the court documents say. Cena reportedly waived his Miranda rights and told police he wanted to talk about what happened at the Best Buy.
He said he was irritated at the other driver and told him "one day you're going to get your ass kicked." When the investigator asked the suspect if he should pay for his mistake, Cena replied, "No, I think it was an even exchange."
Cena was initially charged with aggravated malicious wounding. Now that O'Brien has died, those charges will likely change, but the Fairfax County commonwealth's attorneys office is still awaiting more evidence from the investigators.
Fairfax Police would also like to hear from anyone who might have seen Cena's gold Saturn Relay van on Pickett Road around 11 a.m. on April 16. The Fairfax City Police tip line is 703-591-(TIPS) 8477.
