Topline: The victims, including a 16-year-old and 14-year-old, were all shot with a handgun, according to police officials.
Published: December 16, 2024 12:24 pm ET
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A New Mexico teen is accused of murdering four family members inside their home while heavily intoxicated.
The victims, including a 16-year-old and 14-year-old, were all shot with a handgun, according to police officials.
According to the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State Police, 16-year-old Diego Leyva allegedly carried out the killings early Saturday morning in Belen, a town located about 30 miles south of Albuquerque in an unincorporated area of Valencia County.
Around 3:30 a.m., Leyva called 9-1-1, confessing to the dispatcher that he had killed his family.
When deputies arrived at the scene, Leyva walked out of the home with his hands raised and appeared extremely intoxicated, police said in a news release.
He was arrested without incident.
Inside the residence, officers discovered the bodies of four family members—Leonardo Leyva, 42, Adriana Bencomo, 35, Adrian Leyva, 16, and Alexander Leyva, 14. Though the exact familial relationships are unclear, all four were found dead from gunshot wounds, and a handgun was located on the kitchen table.
Leyva has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder. He was initially held at a hospital for detoxification before being booked into the Juvenile Justice Center in Albuquerque early on December 15.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the case and plan to present it to the district attorney’s office for prosecution. Under New Mexico law, minors aged 15 or older indicted for first-degree murder can be tried in children’s court and face adult sentences, although they cannot be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Published: December 16, 2024 12:24 pm ET
A New Mexico teen is accused of murdering four family members inside their home while heavily intoxicated.
The victims, including a 16-year-old and 14-year-old, were all shot with a handgun, according to police officials.
According to the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State Police, 16-year-old Diego Leyva allegedly carried out the killings early Saturday morning in Belen, a town located about 30 miles south of Albuquerque in an unincorporated area of Valencia County.
Around 3:30 a.m., Leyva called 9-1-1, confessing to the dispatcher that he had killed his family.
When deputies arrived at the scene, Leyva walked out of the home with his hands raised and appeared extremely intoxicated, police said in a news release.
He was arrested without incident.
Inside the residence, officers discovered the bodies of four family members—Leonardo Leyva, 42, Adriana Bencomo, 35, Adrian Leyva, 16, and Alexander Leyva, 14. Though the exact familial relationships are unclear, all four were found dead from gunshot wounds, and a handgun was located on the kitchen table.
Leyva has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder. He was initially held at a hospital for detoxification before being booked into the Juvenile Justice Center in Albuquerque early on December 15.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the case and plan to present it to the district attorney’s office for prosecution. Under New Mexico law, minors aged 15 or older indicted for first-degree murder can be tried in children’s court and face adult sentences, although they cannot be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Police: Teenager Confesses to Killing Family in Quadruple Homicide
The victims, including a 16-year-old and 14-year-old, were all shot with a handgun, according to police officials.
By Jacob Charles
Published: December 16, 2024 12:24 pm ET
A New Mexico teen is accused of murdering four family members inside their home while heavily intoxicated.
The victims, including a 16-year-old and 14-year-old, were all shot with a handgun, according to police officials.
According to the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office and New Mexico State Police, 16-year-old Diego Leyva allegedly carried out the killings early Saturday morning in Belen, a town located about 30 miles south of Albuquerque in an unincorporated area of Valencia County.
Around 3:30 a.m., Leyva called 9-1-1, confessing to the dispatcher that he had killed his family.
When deputies arrived at the scene, Leyva walked out of the home with his hands raised and appeared extremely intoxicated, police said in a news release.
He was arrested without incident.
Inside the residence, officers discovered the bodies of four family members—Leonardo Leyva, 42, Adriana Bencomo, 35, Adrian Leyva, 16, and Alexander Leyva, 14. Though the exact familial relationships are unclear, all four were found dead from gunshot wounds, and a handgun was located on the kitchen table.
Leyva has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder. He was initially held at a hospital for detoxification before being booked into the Juvenile Justice Center in Albuquerque early on December 15.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the case and plan to present it to the district attorney’s office for prosecution. Under New Mexico law, minors aged 15 or older indicted for first-degree murder can be tried in children’s court and face adult sentences, although they cannot be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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