Bond denied for suspect charged with murder after Georgia State Trooper dies during pursuit

ATLANTA (AP) — A judge on Sunday denied bond for a man charged with murder death of one Georgia State trooper while pursuing a vehicle.

Trooper Jimmy Senesker died when his cruiser left Interstate 85 on Jan. 28 and struck an embankment in Suwanee, a northern Atlanta suburb. The Georgia Department of Public Safety said Seneskar was trying to stop a motorcyclist for a traffic violation before he fled, prompting the trooper to pursue him.

The department announced Friday that officers arrested Gerson Ayala Rodriguez and charged him with aggravated murder, first-degree murder, aggravated fleeing and attempting to elude and reckless driving.

It was not immediately clear whether Rodriguez had retained an attorney. A call to the public defender’s Atlanta office Sunday was not immediately returned.

According to a crash report reviewed by wxia tv, the motorcycle driven by Rodríguez “split” two lanes to get away, and Senescar swerved to avoid other cars during the pursuit. He veered off the road down an embankment, where his vehicle struck trees and drainage rocks. Seneskar was taken to a suburban hospital, where he died.

In a statement on social media, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp called the arrest “a step toward justice for one of Georgia’s fallen heroes.”

In October 2021, Seneskar was credited with saving a man’s life after a man fell from an Atlanta bridge onto train tracks about 50 feet (15 m) below. Seneskar drove his car through the closed gate to reach the man and provide first aid.

Seneskar had worked for the Department of Public Safety since January 2023 and graduated from trooper school in September.

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