San Bernardino County deputy dies after apparent road rage attack

SAN BERNARDINO — Larry Falce, a 36-year veteran of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department died Tuesday night from injuries he suffered in a New Year's Eve attack, the department announced. CBS Los Angeles reports the San Bernardino Police Department confirmed late Tuesday that a suspect in the 70-year-old deputy's apparent road rage attack has been taken into custody. No further details were released.

The department says Falce was driving his own car when he got into a minor car accident at University Avenue and Kendall Drive in San Bernardino. Investigators say the person in the other car beat Falce unconscious and he suffered a blow to the head. He died after two days in the hospital. Falce was the oldest deputy to serve on the department.

At 10 p.m.  a procession was held for Falce from Loma Linda Medical Center to the coroner's office.

"He prided himself as being a lifelong public servant, who cared deeply about this profession," Lt. Sarkis Ohannessian said in a press release. "Larry was loved by his peers and the community members he served. More importantly, he cared about so many people he called family."

Deputies at the procession were too emotional to go on camera, CBS2's Rachel Kim reported.

Before joining the department in 1981, Falce served in the U.S. Army.