A suspect was arrested in New Jersey in connection with the recent shooting of an on-duty School District of Philadelphia safety officer, police said Monday night.
Ariza Giansteban, 28, was taken into custody Saturday in Bergen County and is awaiting extradition, according to the PPD. Law enforcement, following a tip from detectives in Philadelphia, apprehended him inside a hospital in Paramus, NJ.com reported.
Gianstreban is accused of shooting the 68-year-old male officer at around 1:45 a.m. June 29 on the 300 block of N. Columbus Boulevard in Old City. He was transported to Jefferson University Hospital in critical condition with several gunshot wounds to his face and torso, though his medical status later stabilized, officials said.
The victim was driving a marked car and wearing a uniform, police said, though school officers are unarmed. Authorities, in the immediate aftermath of the incident, said the shooting appeared to have stemmed from a road rage altercation.
School district representatives said the officer, who previously served nearly three decades in the PPD, was finishing a shift at Kensington Creative & Performing Arts High School, which had been acting as a shelter for residents impacted by an apartment fire.
Police publicized surveillance video of the suspect’s SUV last week in an attempt to generate leads in the case.
Giansteban’s legal representation could not be identified Tuesday.
