Featured
A bicyclist struck by a car was found dead at her home, miles from the wreck. Now police are looking for the driver who hit her.
Detectives are asking the public’s help to find the driver who struck a woman riding her bike — killing her — last weekend in the North Valley.
Sometime after midnight on July 22, Rosanna Breuninger, 40, was hit by a driver at 12th and Los Arboles NW, according to a release from Crime Stoppers. Then someone took the fatally injured Breuninger to her home near Second and Mescalero NW, a few miles away.
The release said Breuninger was found dead at her home hours later. The case is being investigated as a vehicular homicide.
Crime Stoppers shared a photo of a silver car that police believe took Breuninger from the crash scene to her home. A spokeswoman said police are not sure if the driver of the silver car struck Breuninger or just drove her home, but they are looking to speak with the driver.
According to an Albuquerque police incident report:
Police responded around 1 p.m. on July 22 to Breuninger’s home when a friend found her dead on the floor after she didn’t show up for work at a local bike shop. Breuninger’s boss told police she had gone to a concert the night before and rode her bike to get around.
Officers found blood around the home and Breuninger’s purse, keys and bike helmet on the porch outside. Due to the suspicious nature of the scene, homicide detectives were called to investigate.
“Rosanna’s cellphone and personal items are missing at this time,” according to the Crime Stoppers release.
Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information on the incident.
Advance Native Political Leadership, a nonprofit geared toward getting more Native Americans into leadership positions, mourned the loss of Breuninger, a member, on Facebook.
“Rosanna was a bright light in this world, and her smile lit up every room she walked into,” the group’s post read. “Zana couldn’t pass a dog without stopping to say hi, and she lived for her two dogs, Jin and Ghengi. She loved biking around Albuquerque and refurbishing bikes for the community. You could always find Rosanna at a show, surrounded by friends, making everyone laugh.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers, anonymously at 505-843-STOP(7867) or p3tips.com/531.