Police Seek Driver After Cyclist Fatally Struck in North Valley, Later Found Dead at Home

Albuquerque detectives are asking the public to help them find a driver who struck a woman riding her bicycle in the North Valley, a collision that ended with her death. The case is being investigated as a vehicular homicide.

According to a release from Crime Stoppers, Rosanna Breuninger, 40, was hit by a driver at 12th Street and Los Arboles NW sometime after midnight on July 22. Someone then took the fatally injured woman to her home near Second Street and Mescalero NW, a few miles from the crash site. She was found dead there hours later.

Crime Stoppers has circulated a photo of a silver car that police believe carried Breuninger from the scene to her residence. A spokeswoman said investigators do not yet know whether the driver of that car was the person who hit her or simply drove her home. Either way, police want to speak with the driver.

An Albuquerque police incident report describes how the discovery unfolded. Officers went to Breuninger's home at about 1 p.m. on July 22 after a friend found her dead on the floor. The friend had gone to check on her when she did not arrive for work at a local bike shop. Her boss told police that she had gone to a concert the previous night and used her bike to get around.

Officers found blood around the home. Breuninger's purse, keys and bike helmet were on the porch. Because of the suspicious circumstances, homicide detectives were called in. The Crime Stoppers release said her cellphone and personal items are missing.

Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for information about the incident. Anyone with details can contact the organization anonymously at 505-843-STOP (7867) or through p3tips.com/531.

Advance Native Political Leadership, a nonprofit that works to get more Native Americans into leadership positions, mourned Breuninger, a member, in a Facebook post. "Rosanna was a bright light in this world, and her smile lit up every room she walked into," the group wrote.

The post said Breuninger, known as "Zana," could not pass a dog without stopping to say hello and "lived for her two dogs, Jin and Ghengi." The group said she loved biking around Albuquerque and refurbishing bikes for the community, and that she could often be found at a show, surrounded by friends and making everyone laugh.