Police make arrest in death of Hartford man hit by stray gunfire when he stepped out to get a hot dog

Police arrested a man allegedly involved in the May homicide of a 59-year-old man hit by stray gunfire after stepping out to buy a hot dog, according to Hartford police.

Jose Estrada, 23, of Hartford was arrested by the Hartford Police Department Wednesday on an active warrant for his alleged involvement in the shooting death of Guillermo Gonzalez.

Gonzalez, 59, left his home on the morning of May 10 to go get a hot dog and some fresh air. He was hit by stray gunfire from a drive-by shooting near his apartment and died later the same day from his injuries. He was not the intended target of the shooting, police said.

Many of his family members reportedly live in the same apartment building he did, near where he was shot.

Mothers United Against Violence held a vigil in his memory on May 16 with Gonzalez’s family, Rev. Henry Brown and Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin in attendance.

Bronin said police had substantial leads on the people responsible at the time.

Brown noted Gonzalez was the third person to be killed by stray gunfire in the city at the time. He was the 13th homicide victim of the year in Hartford, which is now up to 30 victims after a shooting Wednesday morning, according to police.

“It doesn’t matter where you live, it’s a thing called evil that’s upon us in Hartford, Connecticut,” Brown said at the vigil. “It’s a great evil. It’s called gun violence. People are dying every day. People are being shot up every day.”

Gonzalez’s niece, Joanna Rodriguez, spoke at the vigil and said the people responsible “took a great man.”

Police determined a suspect during the investigation and obtained a warrant on May 26 for Estrada’s arrest. He was located by detectives Wednesday and brought into custody, police said.

He was charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of criminal attempt of murder and reckless endangerment.

Estrada was held on a $2 million bond, police said.