Minerva Hernandez-Lopez, a 44-year-old Hispanic/Latina woman, was killed on August 17, 2026, in what investigators describe as a road‑rage shooting on Milwaukee’s south side. The confrontation began near South 10th Street and West Lapham Boulevard after an exchange between Hernandez‑Lopez and another driver, later identified by prosecutors as Mariah Ruiz. Prosecutors allege Ruiz displayed a handgun during the dispute and that Hernandez‑Lopez followed and began recording the encounter on her cellphone.

Surveillance footage and witness accounts show the vehicles stopped close together and gunfire followed. Police recovered five .40‑caliber cartridge casings and two bullet fragments at the scene; Hernandez‑Lopez was found outside her vehicle and died there despite lifesaving efforts. An autopsy described a single bullet path entering the left shoulder, exiting near the base of the neck, reentering the neck and exiting on the opposite side.

Ruiz later surrendered at a police district with family and friends. Officers recovered a .40‑caliber Glock Model 23 from her vehicle; ballistic testing matched casings from the scene. Prosecutors charged Ruiz with first‑degree reckless homicide while using a dangerous weapon and a $100,000 cash bond was set. Anyone with information about Hernandez‑Lopez or the shooting is asked to come forward.