Ex-Marine charged in road-rage shooting

To his South Philadelphia neighbors, Christian A. Squillaciotti is a "gentle giant." To associates in the martial-arts world, the 275-pound former Marine is a mystery.

But to police, Squillaciotti, 33, is a man with a hair-trigger temper who expressed his rage at another motorist through the barrel of a gun. He was charged with attempted murder yesterday after police said he critically injured a Camden County man who was shot in the head Oct. 5 while driving his 8-year-old daughter on the Schuylkill Expressway.

"I can't understand the mind-set . . . where you would use deadly force," Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel said in announcing Squillaciotti's arrest.

Tipsters who recognized Squillaciotti's Ford F-150 pickup from photographs taken at the Walt Whitman Bridge toll booths apparently directed police to the man's rented house in the 400 block of West Shunk Street about 6 p.m. Monday.

Squillaciotti, a sheet-metal worker on disability leave because of an automobile accident last year and also a competitive martial artist, reportedly expressed remorse to police and identified the storm sewer where detectives found part of the dismantled .40-caliber handgun they said was used in the shooting.

Squillaciotti was being held last night after failing to post $2 million bail. He is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, recklessly endangering others, and related offenses.

Thomas Timko, 41, of Glendora, Gloucester Township, who was wounded in a side of the forehead, remained in critical condition yesterday at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Police said his condition had worsened in recent days. A friend said Timko's girlfriend and relatives remained at his side.

"The shooter needed to be caught, because a guy like that, it sounds like he's pretty dangerous," Rick Boutilier, a Timko family friend, said.

Squillaciotti's neighbors expressed surprise at the accusation.

"He was real nice and respectful. He was like a gentle giant," said Nicholas McCloskey, 30, who said he had known Squillaciotti since the accused man moved to the neighborhood about five years ago with his wife, Chastity.

Neighbor Rufus Faison, 58, also expressed skepticism that Squillaciotti would shoot a motorist.

"He was always a nice guy . . . neighborly. Always 'Hello, how's it going?' He'd move his car if it was in the way," Faison said.

Police confiscated three handguns, two shotguns and two rifles from Squillaciotti's house, authorities said. Squillaciotti has a permit to carry a firearm and can legally own guns, police said. Authorities are investigating whether all the guns were legally purchased.

Police also impounded Squillaciotti's gray pickup, which they said he was driving about 8:40 p.m. when at least four shots were fired at the SUV Timko was driving.

Police said Timko was taking his daughter, Katie, back to her mother's home in Norristown when he was shot.

Police believe that after Timko drove through the Walt Whitman toll plaza, he cut off another driver.

The drivers exchanged words, and Timko opened the moonroof of the 2001 Toyota Highlander and gestured to the other driver, police said. The other driver, following to the right and behind Timko, fired into the Toyota before abruptly taking the Passyunk Avenue exit.

Wounded, Timko managed to get his vehicle to the side of the road, where his daughter flagged down help.

Authorities said Squillaciotti told them he did not know there was a child in the car when he opened fire. They noted that the situation could have been far worse.

"We could be standing here today talking about a young, 8-year-old girl who could have taken that bullet before her father," Bethel said. "We could be standing here talking about the arrest of a murderer for killing an 8-year-old child."

Squillaciotti has no known criminal record.

He joined the Marine Corps when he was 18 and served 71/2 years until he was discharged in April 2000 as a corporal. A Marines spokesman in Washington said Squillaciotti had been an electrical-equipment repair specialist. Police said he was honorably discharged.

In an Internet posting, Squillaciotti said he started his martial-arts training while stationed in Bosnia. He is listed as 6-foot-4 and weighing 275 pounds.

Squillaciotti competed in the super-heavyweight class of the mixed martial arts, a combination of striking, wrestling and jujitsu, and in 2001 he was a member of a team sponsored by the Maxercise studio in Center City.

Martial-arts experts yesterday dissociated themselves from Squillaciotti, saying that they barely remembered him and that his alleged actions conflicted with the philosophy of martial arts to defuse conflict.

"We instill in our students a sense of responsibility to protect those around them, not to harm them," said John J. Disimone 3d, owner of the Maxercise studio.