Police say an argument over loud music escalated before the woman allegedly told her young son to retrieve a handgun.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — An Albuquerque woman faces an open count of murder and other charges after police said her 10-year-old son fatally shot 16-year-old Keinerlein Rangel during a neighborhood dispute over loud music on Oct. 31.
Elaina Gomez-Villeda, 40, was arrested after the shooting at an apartment complex in the 200 block of Tennessee Street NE. Investigators allege that Gomez-Villeda became involved in a physical fight with Rangel and Rangel’s mother before telling her son to go into an apartment and retrieve a handgun. Police said the boy returned with the weapon and fired once, killing Rangel. The child has not been publicly identified and had not been charged as authorities continued reviewing the case.
According to a criminal complaint, the confrontation began after Gomez-Villeda went to her neighbors’ apartment and asked them to lower their music. The neighbor told investigators that the music was not loud and that Gomez-Villeda returned to her own apartment. A short time later, Rangel and her mother went outside to install a security camera above their apartment door. Police said another argument began and developed into a physical fight.
Investigators said Rangel tried to intervene as her mother and Gomez-Villeda fought. Gomez-Villeda’s 10-year-old son also attempted to intervene, police said. Authorities allege that Gomez-Villeda then instructed the boy to retrieve her handgun from inside the apartment. Police said the child returned with the firearm and shot Rangel. Officers responding to a shooting call found the teenager outside the residence. She died at the scene.
Police said Gomez-Villeda took her son back inside her apartment after the shooting. The criminal complaint states that she contacted her husband before calling 911 and told dispatchers that she had been attacked. Investigators said Rangel’s father later arrived at the apartment complex and attempted to get into Gomez-Villeda’s residence after learning what had happened.
Gomez-Villeda told investigators that Rangel’s father tried to open her apartment door and broke a window while she was speaking with emergency dispatchers. She said she obtained another firearm and fired in an effort to make him leave, according to accounts of the complaint. Police officers arriving at the complex reported hearing or seeing gunfire from inside the apartment and took cover.
Several people eventually emerged from the residence, followed by Gomez-Villeda, who police said was carrying a handgun. An Albuquerque police officer fired toward her but did not strike her. Police said the officer’s rounds instead hit a pillar at the apartment building. Gomez-Villeda surrendered and was taken into custody. A Multi-Agency Task Force is separately reviewing the officer’s use of force.
Investigators said a search of Gomez-Villeda’s apartment uncovered additional firearms that were not secured. Authorities also said a revolver found outside the apartment had been entered into a national database as stolen. Police have not said publicly how the weapon allegedly used by the boy came into the household or how long it had been there.
Gomez-Villeda faces an open count of murder along with allegations that include child abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, negligently making a firearm accessible to a minor, battery and receiving a stolen firearm. Police also reported a conspiracy allegation in connection with the case. The charges are accusations, and Gomez-Villeda has not been convicted. Prosecutors have asked a judge to keep her in custody while the criminal case proceeds, arguing in a court filing that her alleged conduct demonstrated an extreme disregard for the safety of others.
Gomez-Villeda appeared in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court on Nov. 2 for a first appearance, court records show. The case was filed as State of New Mexico v. Elaina Eugenia Gomez-Villeda. The Associated Press reported that court records did not immediately identify an attorney representing her when the charges were filed.
The Albuquerque Police Department’s homicide statistics identify the Oct. 31 killing at 238 Tennessee St. NE as one of the city’s 2026 homicide cases and list Gomez-Villeda as an arrested suspect. Police initially gave a different age for the victim before clarifying that Rangel was 16. The department had recorded 50 homicide victims for the year through Nov. 1, according to statistics updated Nov. 2.
The 10-year-old remains unidentified because he has not been charged. Albuquerque police said detectives are working with the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office and state officials to determine what legal action, if any, is available because of his age. The homicide investigation remains ongoing, as does the separate review of the police officer who fired during the response.
Author note: Last updated November 3, 2026.