Librado Cena, director of religious education at St. Leo the
Great Church in Fairfax, was involved in a road rage incident
that turned deadly and became the first homicide in the City
of Fairfax since 2008.
Father David A. Whitestone, pastor of St. Leo, placed Cena on
administrative leave April 18, according to Michael J.
Donohue, director of the Arlington diocesan Office of
Communications.
Police say Cena, 57, grew angry April 16 when a man honked at
him repeatedly at red lights, The Washington Post
reported May 1. Cena followed the driver, 63-year-old William
Hays O’Brien, to a parking lot and reportedly hit him on the
head. O’Brien died 10 days later from what doctors called a
traumatic brain injury, court papers say.
Cena, a father of four, was hired as secretary to the St. Leo
DRE in 2004 and had been serving as DRE since 2006, according
to Father Whitestone.
“Many of us are struggling to come to terms with this
disturbing event, and we are following developments in this
case closely,” Father Whitestone said.
Cena claims the two exchanged blows, but surveillance video
reportedly shows Cena sprinting up behind O’Brien and
striking him first.
Cena was arrested April 18 and charged with aggravated
malicious wounding, according to The Washington
Post. Fairfax County prosecutors said they still are
reviewing the case.
After the altercation, Cena returned to the vehicle and left
the scene, according to the search warrant. O’Brien went into
a Best Buy store, where he told an employee he had been
assaulted.
According to the search warrant, O’Brien returned home and
called 911 just before 1:40 p.m., saying he was alone and in
significant distress. Paramedics forced their way inside and
found O’Brien unconscious and unresponsive on the dining room
floor.
O’Brien was transported to a local hospital, where he was
listed in critical condition and died April 26 as a result of
his injury.
“The members of St. Leo the Great Church are very saddened by
the news of O’Brien’s death and shocked by the apparent
involvement of a member of our church,” Father Whitestone
said. “The prayers of our parish community are with O’Brien
and his loved ones and all those affected by this tragedy.”
