A teenage boy was jailed on murder charges after, authorities said, he reported killing four members of his family at a New Mexico home over the weekend.
The 16-year-old boy called 911 at 3:32 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, to report the deaths near the small city of Belen, 33 miles south of Albuquerque, New Mexico State Police said.
The teenager, who was “extremely intoxicated,” left a residence and surrendered to arriving deputies with his hands raised, police said. Inside, authorities found four people dead and a handgun on the kitchen table, police said.
The teen was identified as Diego Leyva. The victims have been identified as 42-year-old Leonardo Leyva, 35-year-old Adriana Bencomo, Leyva’s 16-year-old brother and Leyva’s 14-year-old brother.
Their relationships to one another and the suspect were not immediately available, but police said he “told a dispatcher he had killed his family.”
Authorities did not release additional information, including a possible motive. New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau agents and Crime Scene Team are processing the scene and conducting interviews to learn what led up to these tragic events,” the agency said.
After detoxification at a hospital, the teenage suspect was “medically cleared” and booked at the Juvenile Justice Center in Albuquerque early Sunday, police said.
The suspect was charged as an adult with four counts of first-degree murder and booked into the Juvenile Justice Center in Albuquerque, police said. The completed investigation will be presented to the district attorney’s office for prosecution, police said.
