Hearing for man charged in death of Georgia state trooper continued

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Update: The hearing for Gerson Ayala Rodriguez was continued until he can hire a new attorney. 

ORIGINAL STORY

The man charged with murder in connection with a crash that killed a Georgia state trooper will appear before a judge Monday morning.

A bond hearing for Gerson Ayala Rodriguez is scheduled for 9 a.m. at the Gwinnett County Courthouse.

Georgia State Trooper Jimmy Cenescar died after a crash on Sunday, Jan. 28, while attempting to stop a motorcycle for a traffic violation on Interstate 85. Cenescar's vehicle left the road and struck an embankment. Emergency personnel responded and attempted life-saving measures before he was rushed to Northside Gwinnett Hospital where he passed away. He was 28 years old.

On Feb. 2, the GSP announced the arrest of Gerson Ayala Rodriguez in connection to Cenescar's death. He was arrested in Norcross and taken into custody by the GSP and Gwinnett County police.

Rodriguez was charged with felony murder, first-degree homicide, felony fleeing, attempting to elude, and other traffic-related charges, the GSP stated.

Who was Georgia State Trooper Jimmy Cenescar?

Born in Haiti, Cenescar was inspired by his aunt to pursue a career in law enforcement.

In 2021, he was credited with risking his own safety to save a man's life who had driven a car off a cliff in northwest Atlanta.

"I knew I had to take action quickly to get that driver out of the vehicle because I knew there were train tracks," said Cenescar, who worked with the Atlanta Police Department at the time.

 Jimmy Cenescar

At his funeral, Cenescar's brother said that as a kid, he wanted to be an astronaut when he grew up, but policing became his life's passion.

"Jimmy passed doing what he loved," his brother said. "That’s something that you guys need to understand, that’s something he loved."

Following his death, politicians across the state reacted to his family's loss and paid tribute to the law enforcement officer's service.

"I would urge all Georgians to keep this family and his fiancee in your thoughts and prayers as they continue to deal with this horrific loss on behalf of our state," Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said.

He was buried at Mount Harmony Memorial Gardens in Mableton on Feb. 9.