Man charged with murder in I-40 ‘road rage’ shooting is in the U.S. illegally, feds say
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Feds charged Josue Quintanilla-Reyes with illegally possessing a firearm.
- The Wake County Sheriff’s Office charged Quintanilla-Reyes with murder in 2025.
- Court records show Quintanilla-Reyes’s trial set for June 29; will claim self-defense.
Weeks before a jury will determine whether a Durham man is guilty of murder in a 2025 shooting off Interstate 40 in Wake County, federal officials alleged the man twice entered the United States illegally.
Special agents with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) obtained a warrant on June 10 for Josue Alejandro Quintanilla-Reyes, 34, charging him with a possessing a firearm while being illegally and unlawfully present in the country. U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Ellis Boyle announced the charges Wednesday.
In March 2025, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office charged Quintanilla-Reyes with murder in the death of Ricardo Baez Cardenas after a shooting suspected to be a result of road rage.
The I-40 shooting
Deputies responded the shooting near Exit 287 to Harrison Avenue at 6:20 a.m. March 7, 2025, according to HSI’s criminal complaint. Investigative reports indicate Baez Cardenas, driving a white Chevrolet Silverado, got into an altercation with Quintanilla-Reyes, driving a white Honda Accord.
A witness driving directly behind the two recorded a video of the shooting, according to the complaint. Quintanilla-Reyes’ front passenger window was open, and he allegedly shot multiple rounds towards Baez Cardenas’ driver window, which was closed. The shots shattered the window, spraying glass onto the highway and the windshield of the witness recording.
ABC11, The News & Observer’s newsgathering partner, reported in March 2025 that the video showed Quintanilla-Reyes driving aggressively before pulling up to Baez Cardenas’ Silverado.
Quintanilla-Reyes fled the scene, according to the complaint. Later the same day of the shooting, he was detained outside his Durham apartment. Investigators obtained a search warrant for his home and found a Glock 23 pistol with three magazines and a .22 caliber rifle with 42 rounds of ammunition.
When interviewed by deputies with the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, Quintanilla-Reyes allegedly admitted to firing his Glock — which he had bought at a gun show in West Virginia — at least twice at the Silverado. He allegedly admitted to cleaning his Accord of the broken glass and shell casings at his apartment complex’s car wash station. The Wake County Sheriff’s Office charged him with murder on March 7, 2025.
Why the feds say Quintanilla-Reyes is in the country illegally
Quintanilla-Reyes allegedly first entered the U.S. illegally by raft near Hidalgo, Texas, on May 14, 2014, and admitted to U.S. Border Patrol agents he had no documentation, according to the complaint. He was deported via aircraft two months later.
Border Patrol agents detained Quintanilla-Reyes again on April 25, 2018, in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, according to the complaint. Quintanilla-Reyes was travelling with his minor son. He allegedly admitted he entered the U.S. illegally again, but there was no detention space for him and his son. The two were released under an order of supervision and went to stay in North Carolina.
Quintanilla-Reyes was ordered to report to the ICE office in Charlotte while under the order of supervision, according to the complaint. He did so on May 7, 2018. But on May 21, 2019, he allegedly failed to report to the ICE office and became an immigration fugitive. The complaint alleged there are no records of approved or pending applications or petitions for Quintanilla-Reyes to enter, work or live in the U.S.
If convicted, Quintanilla-Reyes could face up to 15 years in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in its Wednesday announcement.
Family tributes to Baez Cardenas
Baez Cardenas was the youngest of four brothers and left behind a 12-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter at the time of his death, ABC11 reported in March 2025.
Baez Cardenas’ oldest brother, Ramon Baez, said his youngest brother was a caring father who loved to sing and laugh, ABC11 reported. Another brother, Alfredo, said Ricardo was the “life of the party.”
“We’re never going to hear him singing again,” Alfredo said while watching videos of his younger brother during a New Year’s celebration earlier this year, ABC11 reported.
Court records show Quintanilla-Reyes’ trial is set to begin June 29, at which he plans to claim self-defense.
This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 12:31 PM with the headline "Man charged with murder in I-40 ‘road rage’ shooting is in the U.S. illegally, feds say."
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