A 16-year-old boy in New Mexico, Diego Leyva, is accused of killing his entire family and calling 911 to drunkenly confess. The Valencia County Sheriff’s Office received the call early Saturday morning at approximately 3:30 a.m. Deputies arrived at the home in Belen to find four family members dead from gunshot wounds.
Authorities say Leyva admitted to killing his father, Leonardo Leyva, 42; his mother, Adriana Bencomo, 35; his 16-year-old sister, Adrian Leyva; and his 14-year-old brother, Alexander Leyva. When officers arrived, Leyva surrendered without resistance, walking out of the home with his hands in the air. Officials said he appeared “extremely intoxicated” at the time of his arrest.
The teen was taken to a hospital for detox before being transported to a juvenile detention center in Albuquerque. The New Mexico State Police Investigative Bureau is leading the case to determine the motive behind the killings. No further details about what led to the tragic incident have been released.
The shocking crime has left the local community stunned. Vanessa LaGrange, a former teacher of Diego Leyva, expressed disbelief. “I would never have thought that something like this would happen and that Diego would be capable of doing something like this,” she said.
This tragedy has drawn attention to issues of youth violence, substance abuse, and mental health. The brutal slayings have prompted further investigation into what might have led to this act of violence.
The quadruple homicide serves as a grim reminder of the importance of addressing underlying challenges that could prevent similar tragedies in the future.
