Crime & Safety

Girlfriend of Road Rage Victim Recaps Stabbing

Livermore man facing murder charge to appear in court March 18 for further arraignment.

A woman who was with her Fremont boyfriend when he was fatally stabbed Wednesday said the couple did not start the road rage incident that led to a fight with a Livermore man.

Roshell Morgan said she was in the car driven by victim Ricky Ziesmer when the driver of a vehicle behind them began honking at them after they merged into another lane.

The couple was driving from the Springtown area on First Street toward downtown, Morgan said.

Find out what's happening in Livermorewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"The guy started honking and yelling at us and saying we cut him off," she said, speaking to several reporters after the driver, suspect Cort Holbrook, was arraigned at a Pleasanton courthouse on a murder charge.

Ziesmer exchanged words with Holbrook and the two pulled into a parking lot off Old First Street downtown near the and .

Find out what's happening in Livermorewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The two began to fight and Holbrook pulled out a knife, Morgan said.

"I saw that Ricky was hurt and I yelled at (Holbrook), 'You stabbed him?' " she said. "He said 'That's right I stabbed him. He hit me.' "

Ziesmer, who police said was stabbed in the upper left torso, then got back into the gold 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier he was driving and headed to on East Stanley Boulevard in Livermore, leaving Morgan behind.

"Ricky saw that he was really hurt," Morgan said. "He panicked and jumped in the car."

The health center does not offer emergency services, which are based at ValleyCare's Pleasanton facility. A staff member then called police to report a victim of a stabbing.

Ziesmer was taken to the closest trauma center, Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, where he later died.

"Ricky was not one to back down, but he was not an initiator," said Steve Hill, his brother-in-law. "He was a good man. A family man. He'd do anything for you."

Meanwhile, witnesses saw Holbrook, whose face was bloody, get into a 2003 grey Chevy Silverado pickup after the fight.

He called police to report the road rage incident, Sgt. Brian Martinez said, as did Morgan.

Holbrook was found with an abrasion on his face and refused medical attention when emergency crews arrived. He was taken to the for questioning.

A knife police believe was used in the stabbing was found at the scene on Old First Street, Detective Tony Esquivel said.

Holbrook was later arrested on a murder charge.

He made a brief court appearance this afternoon at the Gale-Schenone Hall of Justice in Pleasanton. He was dressed in a yellow jumpsuit and did not enter a plea.

Family members who came to court refused to comment.

Records show Holbrook lives on Honeysuckle Road off Springtown Boulevard.

A neighbor interviewed Friday who did not wish to be identified said the area is quiet, but he has occasionally seen Holbrook driving aggressively.

The incident marks the city's second homicide this year and does not appear to be gang-related, police said. Detectives continue to investigate the city's first homicide of 2011, a reported in January.

Court records show Holbrook is a software engineer. He is in custody at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin and is being held without bail.

Holbrook's next scheduled court appearance is a further arraignment at 9 a.m. March 18, in Department 701 of the Gale-Schenone Hall of Justice in Pleasanton.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.