Possible plea deal for Rocklin man accused of murder in Placer County road rage
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- A judge postponed a third bail review hearing for Blake Anthony Rakela.
- A prosecutor told the judge the murder case against could end in a plea deal next week.
- Rakela allegedly used a large wrench to attack Jeremy Styles in a road rage incident.
A third bail review hearing for Blake Anthony Rakela was postponed Monday as attorneys work toward a possible plea deal that could be reached next week for the 21-year-old Placer County man accused of murder in a Rocklin road rage case.
For the past 13 months, Rakela has been in custody at the Placer County Jail after a grand jury indicted him on the murder charge in the March 2025 death of 55-year-old Jeremy Styles. A prosecutor has said in court that Rakela used a large metal wrench to strike Styles and that his father, Anthony David Rakela, assisted him in committing the crime.
In May 2025, a Placer County criminal grand jury indicted both men. The father, who remains free on $50,000 bail, was indicted on two felony charges: assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm and assault with a deadly weapon with force likely to produce great bodily injury.
His son faces a murder charge and a sentencing enhancement alleging he used a deadly weapon (the wrench) in the homicide. The Rakelas, both of Rocklin, have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Blake Rakela returned to court Monday afternoon for another bail review hearing. Deputy District Attorney David Tellman asked the judge to postpone the hearing until next Monday when both Rakelas were already scheduled to appear in court to determine when their trial can begin.
The prosecutor told the judge the bail review hearing should be postponed because the Placer County District Attorney’s Office and the defense could reach a plea agreement next Monday. He said arguments over Blake Rakela’s bail would be unnecessary if a resolution is reached.
“We believe on Monday this case will be resolved,” Tellman told the judge.
Placer Superior Court Judge Eugene Gini granted the request and postponed the bail review hearing until next Monday. Tellman told the judge that Styles’ family was aware of the postponement and agreed with the prosecution.
Twice before in the past year, a judge has ordered Blake Rakela to remain ineligible for bail pending trial.
Linda Parisi, Blake Rakela’s defense attorney, has asked the court to set bail and allow her client to be released while the criminal case proceeds.
In a bail review hearing in June, Judge Jeffrey Penney said Blake Rakela would pose a threat to the public if he were to be released from jail.
Parisi argued that Blake Rakela acted in self-defense and was protecting his girlfriend and father, who were both present when Styles allegedly threatened them while holding a tire iron. Parisi said the facts of the confrontation showed “no evidence of malice.”
Styles died after the confrontation, which was reported about 8:45 p.m. March 15, 2025, at the intersection of Whitney Ranch Parkway and Whitney Oaks Drive in a residential neighborhood southwest of McCormick Park.
The prosecutor has argued that Blake Rakela was wielding “a very large wrench” when he attacked Styles, taking multiple swings and “ultimately killing him with a baseball-style swing to the head.”
The defense attorney argued that the fatal confrontation was the result of “a heated quarrel” or imperfect self-defense. Last summer, Parisi asked Judge Colleen Nichols to reduce Blake Rakela’s murder charge to voluntary manslaughter.
The prosecutor argued that Styles’ death was more than a confrontation. Tellman argued that Blake Rakela “stalked” Styles, following his vehicle and calling his father for assistance before the two confronted Styles. Tellman said video evidence shows “a long cooling-off” period before Rakela caught up to Styles and met up with his father at the Rocklin intersection where the violent confrontation occurred.
