Mother Seeks Justice After Daughter’s Tragic Death on I-95

Maria Benitez grieves daily, her daughter’s ashes in a pink urn beneath a Hello Kitty plushie. Nahomi Cittadini, 22, was found dead near I-95 and Ives Dairy Road on Dec. 7, her unclothed body abandoned.

The suspect, 29-year-old Lorent Pion, was initially charged with fleeing police but now faces second-degree murder. Benitez, devastated, demands harsher charges.

“He has to die in jail,” she said. “It won’t bring her back, but it would give me some relief.”

Benitez recalled her daughter’s history of abuse at Pion’s hands. She had seen a disturbing video from August, showing him violently throwing Cittadini to the ground. Despite past police involvement, Pion remained free, even after allegedly shooting at Benitez’s home in October.

Days before her death, Cittadini planned to flee to New York. Pion had stolen her ID to prevent her from leaving, but she was determined to replace it and escape. Tragically, she never got the chance.

Witnesses saw Pion and Cittadini fighting on I-95 before he dragged her onto the roadway, beating her as she struggled. He kept her down until a car struck her. Pion claims her death was accidental, blaming a hit-and-run driver.

Benitez is frustrated by the lack of police communication. She only learned details from reporters. She questions why emergency responders took over an hour to arrive, believing her daughter might still be alive if they had acted sooner.

Now, she keeps her daughter’s memory alive with a small altar, but justice remains elusive.