Case Profiles #89
Bruno “Papote” Lugo
On October 23rd, 2011, Hartford, Connecticut police were called to the area of Orange Street just after 2:00 a.m. after multiple calls came in about gunshots being fired. 32-year-old Bruno Lugo, nicknamed “Papote,” was found on Orange Street in critical condition and badly injured. He was rushed to Hartford Hospital but unfortunately was pronounced dead shortly after. Bruno was shot multiple times and he also appeared to have been struck by a car. Police believe he was shot near Orange Street, possibly on Hazel Street, and made it less than a block away to Orange Street where he was found. Bruno’s sister Eldie said that her brother was a father of four and had recently gotten out of prison. He was doing his best to take advantage of the fresh start and really was trying to turn his life around. At the time of his murder he was working a seasonal job at a musical theater and was having a hard time financially. Eldie stated, “I never would have thought things would go down like this. He was real close to me, and if anything was wrong, if he was stressed, he would tell me… If somebody knows something … They wouldn't like it if it was one of their loved ones and nobody comes forward. There are ways you can come forward and remain anonymous.” Anyone with any information on the murder of Bruno Lugo is asked to please contact the Hartford Police Crime Stoppers tip line at 860-722-TIPS.
Cecil Lopes III
18-year-old Cecil Lopes III was a hard-working, talented guy. He loved football and played for the New Bedford High School team, with dreams of going on to play in college. In October of 2004, Cecil was enrolled as a freshman at UMass Dartmouth and was successfully fulfilling his goal of playing football at a higher level. In college, he was studying business and was known to love music and playing PlayStation with his buddies. Cecil also was a very sharp dresser, with a specific love for sneakers of all kinds. Unfortunately, on Halloween night of 2004, while walking towards the United Front Housing Projects in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Cecil was hit in the head by a bullet that was shot from a car and died instantly.
On July 4th, 2005, 31-year-old father of two, Dana Haywood, was walking in Monte Park. He was a man who had turned his life around, as he worked as a longshoreman on the New Bedford Waterfront and was instrumental in organizing the Citywide Neighborhood Alliance, an organization dedicated to keeping the city’s youth safe. When Dana turned the corner into Monte Park, he was shot 15 times. His case wasn’t solved until 4 years later when the cellmate of John C. Burgos secretly recorded a conversation in which he admitted to Dana’s murder as an act of retaliation for Cecil’s murder. John said he and his friends wanted to take the life of an innocent man on a holiday, just like what had happened to Cecil. While John was sentenced for Dana’s murder, Cecil’s murder remains unsolved. If you or anyone you know has any information of the murder of Cecil Lopes III, please call the Massachusetts Unresolved Crimes Unit at 1-855-MA-SOLVE.
Image sources:
portal.ct.gov - “Connecticut Cold Case 5th Edition Cards”
wwlp.com - “This Halloween night marks 20 years since deadly shooting in New Bedford”