Family attends court appearance of man charged with killing Durham father in shooting on I-40
WAKE COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- A man facing a murder charge after a deadly shooting on I-40 last week appeared in front of a Wake County judge on Monday.
Josue Alejandro Quintanilla-Reyes, 32, was appointed a capital defender and is being held without bond. If convicted, Quintanilla-Reyes could face life in prison without parole or the death penalty.
"It's just a lot of pain," Ramon Baez said. "But I want to see who did that."
The victim's family was also in the courtroom. They told ABC11 Eyewitness News they want justice for their loved one, Ricardo Baez, 35, who's remembered as a "caring father." He leaves behind two children, a 12-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter.
"He was a good worker," Ramon Baez said. "I'm the oldest brother, and whenever I'm in trouble, I call him. We're going to miss him a lot."
The shooting was caught on video from another driver, who claims Quintanilla-Reyes was driving aggressively before pulling up next to Ricardo's truck. The family said they wanted to thank that eyewitness for recording it all.
Although authorities are still working to confirm the motive behind the shooting, it's a suspected case of road rage, which Baez said he wants to raise awareness about.
"Just let them pass," Baez said. "We need justice for my brother. It's not really worth it, something like that for road rage. We're in hard pain."
Quintanilla-Reyes' next appearance in court is on March 31. The Wake County Sheriff's office has not confirmed the motive behind the shooting, however, it is a suspected case of road rage.
Who was Ricardo Baez Cardenas?
The shooting happened around 6:20 a.m. on Interstate 40 East near N. Harrison Avenue. When Wake County deputies arrived, they found Ricardo Baez Cardenas inside with a gunshot wound. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died.
He leaves behind three brothers and two children, a 12-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter.
"Receiving that phone call was the most terrifying moment of my life," said Ramon Baez, Ricardo's oldest brother.
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In a sit-down with ABC11 from their Durham home, Ramon and the rest of the Baez family recounted the pain and grief that had filled the last 48 hours.
"How can you explain to his son what happened? How can you have the heart to shoot someone like that?" Ramon said.
