Berlin, NH — A wave of shock and sorrow has gripped the city of Berlin, New Hampshire, following a grim discovery at La Casita, a well-known family restaurant located on Hillside Avenue. Officials from the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, New Hampshire State Police, and the Berlin Police Department have released new information surrounding the suspicious deaths of two adults found inside the restaurant early Sunday morning, July 6, 2025.

According to authorities, police were called to La Casita shortly after 9:00 a.m. when staff members or passersby reportedly discovered the bodies of a man and a woman inside the closed establishment. First responders quickly secured the scene and launched an active investigation. While officials have not yet released the identities of the deceased pending notification of next of kin, law enforcement sources indicate that the incident is being treated as a possible murder-suicide.

Early reports suggest that this tragic event may be connected to a domestic violence-related shooting that occurred just hours earlier in the restaurant’s parking lot, where Sandra Marisol Fuentes, age 39, was fatally shot. The two incidents are now believed to be part of a larger, targeted act of domestic violence that spanned both outside and inside the La Casita property.

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office confirmed that autopsies will be conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine exact causes and manners of death. Preliminary findings are expected in the coming days.

Law enforcement agencies, including the Major Crime Unit of the New Hampshire State Police, spent much of Sunday processing the scene, interviewing witnesses, reviewing surveillance footage, and reconstructing the timeline of events. The restaurant has been closed to the public until further notice, and the area was cordoned off with police tape throughout the day.

“This is a deeply troubling and tragic case,” a spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office stated in a public release. “We are working diligently to gather all facts and ensure a complete understanding of what transpired.”

Local residents have expressed devastation over the events that unfolded at a business long known as a family-friendly fixture in the community. The intersection of domestic violence and public tragedy has sent shockwaves across Berlin, prompting grief, outrage, and urgent calls for awareness and prevention.

Though few official details have been confirmed, the unfolding picture is a heartbreaking one—of lives lost in a moment of violence, in a place where families once gathered for meals and laughter.

This incident also serves as a sobering reminder of the real and deadly consequences of intimate partner violence, which continues to impact communities across the country. Mental health counselors and crisis support teams have been made available to La Casita staff, local residents, and the greater Berlin community as they process the trauma of the events.

Authorities are urging anyone who may have additional information related to the case to come forward and contact New Hampshire State Police or the Berlin Police Department. Updates will be provided by the Attorney General’s Office as the investigation develops.

As Berlin mourns the loss of life and struggles to understand how such violence unfolded in the heart of its community, there is a shared hope that this tragedy will not be in vain—that it will prompt deeper conversations, stronger protections, and renewed commitment to supporting those at risk before it is too late.

For those in crisis or who know someone in danger, help is available. Please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text “START” to 88788.