The home where 16-year-old Diego Leyva says he “killed his family,” according to cops (KOAT/YouTube).
A teenager in rural New Mexico slaughtered “his family” — gunning down four relatives inside of their home with a handgun, including a 16-year-old and 14-year-old — while he was “extremely intoxicated,” police officials say.
Diego Leyva, 16, is accused of carrying out the familicide early Saturday at a residence in Belen, which is reportedly located in an unincorporated part of Valencia County about 30 miles south of Albuquerque. Leyva allegedly called 911 himself at around 3:30 a.m. and “told the dispatcher he had killed his family,” according to the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State Police.
“When deputies arrived, Diego walked out of the residence with his hands in the air and was extremely intoxicated,” police officials said in a press release. “He was taken into custody without incident.”
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When deputies first entered the Leyva residence, they found the bodies of four of the teen’s family members, though it’s unclear what their exact relation is to him. They’ve been identified as Leonardo Leyva, 42, Adriana Bencomo, 35, Adrian Leyva, 16, and Alexander Leyva, 14.
All four were shot to death, according to cops, with a handgun being left for deputies to find on the family’s kitchen table. Footage captured by local news stations shows multiple cars outside the residence
Leyva has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and was being held Sunday at a hospital for detox.
“He was medically cleared and booked into the Juvenile Justice Center in Albuquerque at around 1:00 a.m. on December 15th,” police said.
Authorities plan to present the case to the district attorney’s office for prosecution as they continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
According to New Mexico law, a “serious youthful offender” — minors who are at least 15 and indicted for first-degree murder — can be tried in children’s court and be given an adult sentence, but they can’t be sentenced to life without the possibility of release or parole.
