A 16-year-old boy from New Mexico was taken into custody on Saturday morning after he reportedly shot and killed his parents and two teenage siblings, then made a drunken call to 911 to admit to the quadruple murder, according to law enforcement officials. The boy, identified as Diego Leyva, is now facing charges of first-degree murder for the gruesome incident that occurred around 3:30 a.m., prior to the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office receiving a call from the alleged murderer, as stated by the New Mexico State Police.
Leyva reportedly informed a 911 dispatcher that he had killed his family members. When deputies arrived at his residence in the city of Belen, he exited the house with his hands raised, as per the authorities. The state police reported that Leyva was “extremely intoxicated” at the time of his arrest, but was taken into custody without any issues.
Upon entering the house, the police found a handgun on the kitchen table. The victims, identified as 42-year-old Leonardo Leyva, 35-year-old Adriana Bencomo, 16-year-old Adrian Leyva, and 14-year-old Alexander Leyva, were discovered inside the house, all with gunshot wounds, as per the law enforcement and local news outlet KRQE.
Following his arrest, Leyva was taken to a nearby hospital for detoxification. He was later transferred to a juvenile justice center in Albuquerque early Sunday, according to officials.
The news of the horrific incident left many in disbelief, including a former teacher of Leyva. Vanessa LaGrange, an educator, expressed her shock to the Guardian, stating that she could never have imagined that Leyva would be capable of such a heinous act. She added that the entire community was in shock.
The state police investigative bureau is currently working to uncover the motive behind the brutal killings.