Son charged with murder of father using axe and car in 'domestic dispute'

A man has been charged with the murder of his father, who was killed on his own driveway in Virginia, using an axe and a car.

Frank Altimari has been charged with first-degree murder after his father Nicholas Altimari's body was found on Saturday (4 November) on the 1500 block of Black Heath Road, Richmond.

Chesterfield County Police were called to the home at around 8pm to an apparent domestic dispute, and a report of an assault with a deadly weapon.

On arrival, police say that Nicholas, a former federal prosecutor who had practiced Law in Richmond, had been struck by a vehicle and with an axe.

The 61-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene.

Court documents filed in Chesterfield Juvenile and Domestic Relations court reveal that Frank, 31, was arrested at the house off Old Buckingham Road.

"The investigation indicates Nicholas Altimari was struck by a vehicle and with an axe," a Chesterfield Police spokesperson said, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Authorities said that a female was also injured when they arrived at the property and she was taken to hospital, treated then released.

"Upon their arrival officers located [Nicholas Altimari's] body deceased in the driveway," a Chesterfield Police spokesperson said. "An adult female on scene supplied police with suspect information. The adult female, who was also injured in the incident, was transported to an area hospital where she was treated and released."

After appearing in court on Monday morning Frank Altimari was ordered to be held without bail until 15 November for an attorney status hearing, with a further hearing pencilled in for December.

According to reports, Altimari graduated from the University of Virginia in 2010 and started working at Capital One three years later.

Court records seen by WTVR 6 News show Frank Altimari also had pending matters involving assault and assault on law enforcement.

Frank Altimari's late grandfather, the Honorable Frank X. Altimari, served as a US District Court for the Eastern District of New York in the 1980s.