He told cops 'he snapped' in road-rage case last year

He told police that he snapped - just lost it - after a motorist repeatedly flipped him the bird and cut him off in traffic along a five-mile stretch from New Jersey to South Philly, last fall.

Christian Squillaciotti, a former Marine diagnosed with schizophrenia in the service, told police that he heard voices telling him to "kill him, kill that motherf-----" just before opening fire and sending a .40-caliber bullet into motorist Thomas Timko's head.

Timko, 42, is still recovering from the attack last Oct. 5 in the westbound lanes of the Schuylkill Expressway, near the Passyunk Avenue exit. His 8-year-old daughter, Kaitlyn, who was with him, was uninjured.

After hearing from three witnesses yesterday - including police Detective Eric Johnson, who read the statement Squillaciotti gave police after the incident, Municipal Judge David Shuter held him for trial.

Squillaciotti, 34, faces multiple charges tied to both victims including, aggravated assault and attempted murder.

Christopher J. Angelo, Squillaciotti's court-appointed attorney, tried unsuccessfully to get the charges filed on behalf of the child dropped, arguing that his client had not known she was in the back seat of the SUV behind tinted windows.

However, Shuter dropped charges of making terroristic threats.

Throughout the preliminary hearing, Squillaciotti, at 6 feet 4, 275 pounds, sat with his mouth ajar, looking straight ahead.

His distant gaze was the result of medication for schizophrenia and borderline personality, both diagnosed at age 19, when Squillaciotti served in the Marines, Angelo said.

The lawyer contended that Squillaciotti, of South Philadelphia, who is married, was never properly treated for his mental ailments while in the service from 1992 to 1996, during which he came under fire in Haiti during political unrest.

"Semper Fi [Always Faithful] is the motto of the Marine Corps. The question is whether or not we are faithful to our vets when we're allowing them to be damaged and put back into society," Angelo said.

About 20 relatives and friends were in court yesterday to support Squillaciotti, who will remain under treatment at Norristown State Hospital until his trial is completed.

In his police statement, Squillaciotti said he thought Timko had pointed a shiny object at him before the shooting. No weapon was found in the victim's car.

Police recovered four shell casings: two bullets hit the SUV and one shattered a window, striking Timko.

Timko, who is still recovering, was not present in court, nor was his family.

Assistant District Attorney Thomas Lipscomb said that it was not clear whether Timko had made obscene gestures at the defendant and that it did not matter.

"Every day we have to put up with indignities, but those indignities don't give you the right to try to take somebody else's life," he said. To claims about Squillaciotti's health, Lipscomb said: "Regardless of whatever mental difficulties that he may have does not justify his actions. We will see."