A Bethel police officer has been charged after state police allege that she waited over an hour to report that her brother was involved in a hit-and-run crash on Route 8 in Shelton last January that left a teenager dead.
Jessenia M. Beamonte, 32, was arrested Tuesday on charges of accessory to evading responsibility involving a death, third-degree hindering prosecution and interfering with an officer, according to Connecticut State Police.
State police said the charges stem from a fatal crash that occurred on Jan. 12, 2025, shortly before 12:40 a.m. According to state police, a 1994 Honda Civic Del Sol driven by a 37-year-old Waterbury man was traveling north in the right lane when it was hit from the rear by a 2013 Honda CR-V.
The collision sent the Civic across the grass median and into the southbound lanes where it was struck by a 2011 Honda Accord. State police said the Accord struck the passenger side of the Civic.
A passenger in the Civic, 14-year-old Chloe Alyssa Ramsubhag of Waterbury, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to state police. The driver of the Civic was taken to St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport for serious injuries.
The Accord driver was taken to Bridgeport Hospital for an injury suspected to be minor, state police said.
The driver of the CR-V, a 38-year-old Shelton man identified in the arrest warrant affidavit as C. Beamonte, took off from the scene following the crash, according to state police. At 1:26 a.m., he called 911 to report being involved in a crash and was later found at an auto body shop on Bridgeport Avenue, according to the arrest warrant affidavit supporting the charges against Jessenia Beamonte. State police said they initially believed he was involved in a separate collision when he contacted them.
The warrant affidavit said Jessenia Beamonte called state police at 2:17 a.m. to report that her brother, C. Beamonte, was involved in a crash and that she wanted to take him to a hospital. At the time, state police wrote, troopers were still under the impression that the brother was involved in a separate crash.
State police told Jessenia Beamonte their response would be delayed because they were handling a fatal crash at the time, according to the warrant affidavit.
Just before 3:20 a.m., troopers at the scene found a license plate that was traced to the vehicle belonging to C. Beamonte, according to the warrant affidavit. This was the first indication state police said they had that suggested he was involved in the fatal crash.
When troopers spoke to him at Griffin Hospital, Jessenia Beamonte’s brother allegedly said he had one beer in Fairfield prior to the crash, according to the warrant affidavit. He declined to provide a blood or urine sample, allegedly telling state police he passes out when he has blood drawn, and opted not to give investigators a run down of where he had been in the 24 hours prior to the collision, state police wrote.
An analysis of the crash found that the collision was caused by C. Beamonte allegedly failing to maintain “sufficient” distance from the Civic in front of him, the warrant affidavit said. Investigators said he failed to brake or take an evasive action to avoid a collision, with a contributing factor being that he was allegedly going somewhere between 82 mph and 89 mph in a 55 mph zone, the warrant affidavit.
State police investigators said they also found that Jessenia Beamonte met her brother at the auto body shop where he went after the crash, according to the warrant affidavit. Troopers also learned that Jessenia Beamonte called a Bethel police sergeant multiple times after the crash and asked for advice before she reached out to state police, the warrant affidavit said.
Jessenia Beamonte allegedly told the sergeant during the initial call at 1:44 a.m. that her brother had consumed four beers before he was involved in the collision, according to the warrant affidavit. Jessenia Beamonte allegedly expressed “more concern” over the evading aspect of the situation, the warrant affidavit said. She also allegedly said she and her brother were approached by a Shelton police officer who said state police were aware of where they were and would respond to their location.
During a second call to the sergeant at 2:07 a.m., Jessenia Beamonte said state police had still not arrived and that her brother was complaining of chest pain, the warrant affidavit said. The sergeant reportedly told her to take him to the scene of the crash to be evaluated or to the hospital, but to make sure she told state police what they were going to do, according to the warrant affidavit.
State police said Jessenia Beamonte allegedly inquired with the sergeant whether her brother would be given any field sobriety tests if she took him back to the scene, the warrant affidavit said.
Jessenia Beamonte is free on a $250,000 bond and is expected to face a judge in Derby Superior Court on Jan. 29.
State police said they anticipate additional arrests being made in connection with the crash.
A spokesperson for Bethel police said the department was expected to issue a comment about the arrest on Thursday.