Milwaukee Teen Fatally Shoots Woman After Road Rage Confrontation, Police Say

Mariah Ruiz, 18, faces first-degree reckless homicide after allegedly shooting Minerva Hernandez-Lopez, 44, during a road rage incident in Milwaukee. Ruiz turned herself in; the gun was found in her car.

Milwaukee Teen Charged With Homicide After Road Rage Shooting Kills Mother of Two

An 18-year-old Milwaukee woman has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide after police say she fatally shot a 44-year-old woman during a road rage confrontation on Aug. 17.

According to a criminal complaint reviewed by Law & Crime, officers responded to reports of a shooting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at 2:30 p.m. and found Minerva Hernandez-Lopez on the ground with two gunshot wounds. Bystanders attempted to help after hearing the shots, but Hernandez-Lopez was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mariah Ruiz was behind the wheel of a silver Nissan when the incident unfolded. Neighborhood surveillance footage captured the confrontation, which began after Hernandez-Lopez's tan GMC truck backed into the front bumper of Ruiz's vehicle. Ruiz was then allegedly seen reaching out of her car window, pointing an object at the GMC. Audio from the recording picked up three gunshots, followed by two more as the truck attempted to drive away. The Nissan then left the scene.

A 16-year-old boy who was in the car with Ruiz told police the two had been heading to a grocery store when Ruiz cut off Hernandez-Lopez. Hernandez-Lopez pulled up alongside the Nissan and said, "Little girl, you need to drive." Ruiz responded with profanities and allegedly drew a firearm.

The boy told investigators that Hernandez-Lopez then began recording Ruiz on her phone and started following the vehicle. He said Hernandez-Lopez moved back in front of Ruiz's car and brake-checked her before the encounter turned fatal. According to the complaint, the boy told Ruiz not to shoot.

Ruiz turned herself in to police accompanied by family members. A search of her car yielded the gun allegedly used to kill Hernandez-Lopez. Ruiz admitted to the shooting, telling officers she had been having a bad day following an argument with her mother.

She was booked into Milwaukee County Jail and is being held on $100,000 cash bond, with a court appearance scheduled for Aug. 28.

Hernandez-Lopez, a mother of two boys, has been mourned by family and friends, who have organized a meal train for her children.

Source: Law & Crime