Crime
Keyshia Ortiz-Benitez Dies After Fatal Hit-and-Run Pedestrian Crash on Ledyard Street in Hartford
HARTFORD, Conn. — Hartford Police are investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash that claimed the life of a 30-year-old woman after she was struck by a vehicle that fled the scene.
Authorities identified the victim as Keyshia M. Ortiz-Benitez, born November 16, 1994, of Hartford.
According to the Hartford Police Department, officers responded to the area of Ledyard Street, south of Wawarme Avenue, following reports of a serious motor vehicle-versus-pedestrian collision.
When officers arrived, they found Ortiz-Benitez lying in the roadway with life-threatening injuries. Emergency medical personnel provided treatment at the scene before transporting her to a nearby hospital.
Despite lifesaving efforts, Ortiz-Benitez later succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Police said the vehicle involved in the crash did not remain at the scene.
Investigators believe the driver, operating an unknown make and model vehicle, fled southbound immediately after striking the pedestrian. No description of the vehicle or driver has been released.
The incident is being investigated as a fatal hit-and-run crash.
Detectives with the Hartford Police Department Crime Scene Division responded to the location and have assumed responsibility for the investigation.
Authorities are working to identify the vehicle involved, determine the circumstances leading up to the collision, and locate the driver who left the scene.
Investigators have not released information regarding what Ortiz-Benitez was doing immediately before the crash or whether any witnesses observed the collision.
The Hartford Police Department is asking anyone with information about the fatal hit-and-run to come forward.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information that could assist investigators is urged to contact the Hartford Police Department Tip Line at 860-722-TIPS (8477).
The investigation remains active and ongoing, and additional information is expected to be released as detectives continue their efforts to identify the driver and determine the circumstances surrounding the fatal collision.
Crime
Bianchinies Cruz shot and killed his wife Alisha Marie before taking his own life in Manchester Home, 8-Year-Old Boy Shot and Injured
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Two adults identified as Bianchinies Cruz and Alisha Marie, also known as “Limber Alii Cruz,” were found dead from apparent gunshot wounds inside a Manchester home on Tuesday morning, October 27, 2026. An 8-year-old boy was also found suffering from a gunshot wound and remains hospitalized in stable condition, according to New Hampshire authorities.
The Manchester Police Department responded to a home at 59 Wheelock Street at approximately 9:34 a.m. Tuesday after receiving a request for a welfare check. The caller expressed concern about the well-being of the three people believed to be living at the residence: an adult man, an adult woman and their 8-year-old male child.
According to a joint announcement from New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella and Manchester Police Chief Peter A. Meyer, officers entered the home and found both adults deceased. The child was alive but had sustained a gunshot wound to his torso.
Emergency responders transported the injured boy to a regional trauma center, where he was reported to be in stable condition and receiving medical treatment.
Authorities said the adult woman appeared to have sustained multiple gunshot wounds, while the adult man appeared to have suffered a single gunshot wound to the head. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
The adults were identified in the information provided as Bianchinies Cruz and Alisha Marie, also known as Limber Alii Cruz. Authorities have not released further details about their relationship or the circumstances that preceded the shooting.
Detectives are investigating the incident as a potential murder-suicide, according to the announcement from state and local authorities. This remains a preliminary investigative direction, and officials have not released a final determination regarding the circumstances or manner of the deaths.
Autopsies were scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at the New Hampshire Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Concord. The examinations are expected to assist authorities in determining the official causes and manners of death.
Investigators have not publicly disclosed additional details about the firearm, the events leading up to the shooting or who may have fired the shots.
Authorities said there was no known threat to the general public in connection with the incident.
The investigation remains ongoing as Manchester police and state officials continue working to establish what happened inside the Wheelock Street residence.
Further information may be released as the investigation progresses and autopsy findings become available.