According to police, a 16-year-old is accused of shooting his entire family while he was “extremely drunk.”
Diego Leyva is charged with first-degree murder after he allegedly shot and killed his family in the early hours of Sunday morning before calling authorities.
The incident occurred around 3:30 a.m. Sunday in Belén, Valencia County, New Mexico.
When police arrived at the scene, Diego allegedly walked outside with his hands up and in an “extremely intoxicated” state, according to a statement from New Mexico police.
Police reported that a gun was found on the kitchen table and the bodies of four deceased family members were found in the home.
According to officers, Diego “told a dispatcher he killed his family.”
Diego was sent to the juvenile detention center
According to law enforcement, the suspect's 42-year-old father Leonardo Leyva, 35-year-old mother Adriana Bencomo, 16-year-old sister Adrian Leyva and 14-year-old brother Alexander Leyva were found dead with gunshot wounds.
State police said Diego surrendered without incident and was taken to a hospital for detoxification.
He was later booked into a juvenile detention center in Albuquerque early Sunday morning, officials said.
The county sheriff's office said it has turned the case over to state police to investigate the quadruple murder.
“I never thought something like this would happen and that Diego would be able to do it,” Vanessa LaGrange, a former teacher of Diego, told The Guardian. “Everyone is in shock.”
State investigators are still trying to determine the motive for the killings.
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