On the morning of July 6, 2025, the life of 25-year-old Hispanic female, Sandra Marisol Fuentes Huaracha, was tragically cut short in what authorities would later describe as a murder-suicide. The incident unfolded at the La Casita restaurant in Berlin, New Hampshire, where Huaracha was an employee. Responding to a 911 call reporting gunshots at approximately 9:45 a.m., Berlin police officers made a grim discovery inside the Hillside Avenue establishment.
Huaracha was found deceased behind the bar, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
The investigation quickly led authorities to a second individual at the scene, 50-year-old Michael Gleason, Jr. He was discovered in one of the restaurant's bathrooms with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Both Huaracha and Gleason were pronounced dead at the scene. Law enforcement officials subsequently confirmed that the two had been involved in a prior domestic relationship. The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office announced that they were investigating the deaths as a likely murder-suicide, assuring the public that there was no ongoing threat.
Autopsies later confirmed the initial assessment of the scene. The New Hampshire Associate Medical Examiner determined that Sandra Marisol Fuentes Huaracha's cause of death was multiple shotgun wounds, and her manner of death was ruled a homicide. The Deputy Chief Medical Examiner concluded that Michael Gleason, Jr.'s cause of death was a shotgun wound to the head, and his manner of death was suicide. Evidence gathered during the investigation led authorities to conclude that Gleason shot and killed Huaracha before taking his own life.
Further reporting revealed a troubled history between Huaracha and Gleason. It came to light that just months before her death, Huaracha had sought legal protection from Gleason, expressing fear for her life. She had obtained a restraining order against him after he was arrested on felony charges related to an attack on her. Despite these measures, Gleason was out on bail and still had access to the shotgun he used in the murder-suicide. The case has since drawn scrutiny regarding the handling of the legal proceedings leading up to the tragedy, with many in the community believing her death was preventable. In response to the widespread criticism, the state's domestic violence fatality review committee announced that Huaracha's murder would be the first case they would review. The community mourned the loss of Huaracha, who was remembered by the mayor of Berlin as a "beloved" community member and a "beacon of light."
