A 16-year-old boy from Belen, New Mexico, was arrested Saturday morning after allegedly killing his parents and two teenage siblings before calling 911 to confess, authorities said.
Diego Leyva faces first-degree murder charges in connection with the quadruple homicide, which took place around 3:30 a.m.
According to a New Mexico State Police news release, Leyva, who was reportedly highly intoxicated, called 911 and told the dispatcher he had killed his family.
Deputies from the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office arrived to find Leyva waiting with his hands in the air.
Inside the home, authorities found the bodies of:
Leonardo Leyva, 42 (father)
Adriana Bencomo, 35 (mother)
Adrian Leyva, 16 (sister)
Alexander Leyva, 14 (brother)
All victims had suffered fatal gunshot wounds. Police discovered a handgun on the kitchen table.
After his arrest, Leyva was taken to a nearby hospital for detox and then booked into a juvenile justice center in Albuquerque. Investigators are still working to determine what led to the tragic shootings.
A former teacher, Vanessa LaGrange, expressed shock over the incident, saying, “I would never have thought that something like this would happen and that Diego would be capable of doing something like this. Everyone’s in shock.
The brutal slaying has rocked the Belen community, prompting questions about potential warning signs and the teen’s state of mind. Law enforcement continues to investigate the motive behind the killings.
