2 charged in road rage shooting in Gwinnett County parking lot, police say
Paola Nicole Cruz Pena and David Jesus Ravelo Cedeno (Gwinnett County Police Department)
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Two Riverdale residents are facing charges in connection with a road rage incident that ended with a shooting.
Officials with the Gwinnett County Police Department told FOX 5 that their investigation began on Nov. 25 when officers were called to a local hospital in reference to a person shot.
After speaking to witnesses at the hospital, the officers learned that the shooting had happened earlier that day in the parking lot of Holcomb Bridge Road in Peachtree Corners.
Security footage of the situation showed a white BMW pulling up and trying to pass a black car in the parking lot. Instead of moving to allow the white car to drive by, the black vehicle stayed in place and both cars exchanged headlight flashes.
"They were having an issue with whose turn it is to go and they didn’t want to move. They started flashing their high beams at each other," said Cpl. Juan Madiedo, of the Gwinnett County Police Department.
It was shortly after that that police said the suspects, identified as 21-year-old Paola Nicole Cruz Pena and 25-year-old David Jesus Ravelo Cedeno, got out of the white car and confronted the driver and passengers in the black car. The altercation escalated into a fight and shooting.
"You can see the male suspect has a handgun in his hand, and we paused the video there because a physical altercation occurred right after. During that altercation, a victim suffered a gunshot wound to his lower extremities," said Madiedo.
After identifying Pena and Cedeno, detectives located the pair and their vehicle in Riverdale and arrested them without incident.
"Something that could have been avoided in this situation, now turns into two young adults facing serious felonies," added Madiedo.
Pena is charged with aggravated assault, tampering with evidence, and battery. Cedeno is charged with three counts of aggravated assault, aggravated battery, possession of a firearm during the commission of certain crimes, tampering with evidence, unauthorized discharge of a firearm within 50 yards of a public roadway, discharging a firearm while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and reckless conduct.
Both suspects are currently in custody at the Gwinnett County Jail.
Road rage incidents are not new in metro Atlanta. With the holiday season upon us, police want to remind drivers to try to deescalate any road or parking lot situations.
"We want everyone to please remain calm," stated Madiedo. If you find yourself in an encounter with an individual or a group of individuals that are agitated, at all costs, try to avoid any type-of confrontation because it can turn deadly."
The Source: This story was updated since it was originally published to reflect new details learned by FOX 5 Atlanta's Brittany Edney while speaking with Cpl. Juan Madiedo of the Gwinnett County Police Department. Mug shots were provided by the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office while surveillance images was provided by the Gwinnett County Police Department.