Deputies in New Mexico arrived on the scene in the early hours of Saturday morning to the “extremely intoxicated” teen walking out of the residence with his hands up, and a gun and the bodies of his parents and teen siblings inside the home.
The New Mexico State Police have revealed the identities of the family allegedly shot and killed by one of their own over the weekend. According to a police spokesperson, they received a 911 call at around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, December 14.
The call was from a teen reporting that he’d killed his entire family in their home. When Valencia County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at the Belén residence, they found 16-year-old Diego Leyva walking outside with his hands raised, ready to surrender, per ABC affiliate KOAT.
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Police reported in a press release that he was “extremely intoxicated” at the time of his arrest, but cooperated fully with law enforcement. Inside the home, police found a handgun on the kitchen table and four victims related to the suspect.
Those victims have been identified as Leonardo Leyva, 42, Adriana Bencomo, 35, and the suspect’s 16-year-old and 14-year-old brothers. KRQE reports they were found dead from suspected gunshot wounds.
CNN reports that Bencomo had been an active member of the Valencia County Fire Department, which said in a statement that it was “shocked and saddened by this loss.”
After the quadruple homicide, the Belén Consolidated Schools district released a statement to their Facebook page on Sunday, writing that additional counseling services would be available.
“We are deeply saddened and shocked by the tragic event involving the killing of his family by a BHS student this past Saturday,” wrote superintendent Lawrence Sanchez in the statement. “Our hearts go out to the victims, their loved ones and everyone impacted by this devastating loss.”
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“This heartbreaking incident reminds us of the importance of vigilance in addressing the challenges our youth face, promoting mental health awareness and ensuring a safe and nurturing environment for everyone.”
“We are committed to working closely with law enforcement, school officials and community leaders to understand how such a tragedy could occur and to take steps to do our part in preventing anything like this from happening again,” the statement concluded. “It is our collective responsibility to ensure our children and families feel safe, supported and valued.
Leyva has now been charged with four Open Counts of First-Degree Murder, per police. After initially being taken to a hospital for detox, authorities reported “he was medically cleared and booked into the Juvenile Justice Center” in Albuquerque, New Mexico on December 15.
Per KRQE, the NMSP Investigations Bureau and Crime Scene Team are processing the scene and conducting interviews to try and determine what led up to this tragic incident as part of their ongoing investigation.
Once their investigation is complete, the results will be handed over to the district attorney’s office for prosecution.
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