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KTSM News – NM teen facing murder charges after allegedly killing family

Posted on December 15, 2024

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A Belen, New Mexico, teenager has been charged with four counts of murder after he allegedly killed his family while “extremely intoxicated,” New Mexico State Police said.

Diego Leyva, 16, of Belen, has been charged with four open counts of first-degree murder, New Mexico State Police said.

New Mexico State Police said they were called in by the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office to investigate a quadruple homicide this weekend at a home in Belen.

Belen is about 230 miles north of El Paso or about 30 miles south of Albuquerque.

State Police said about about 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from the suspect, who reportedly told the dispatcher that he had killed his family.

When deputies arrived, Leyva walked out of the home with his hands in the air and in an “extremely intoxicated” state, New Mexico State Police said.

He was taken into custody without incident and is being held at a hospital for detoxification, State Police said.

When deputies entered the home, they found four dead people. The Office of the Medical Investigator is working to identify the victims.

A handgun was also found on the kitchen table, State Police said.

Once medically cleared, Leyva will be booked into a juvenile detention facility, State Police said.

This incident is in the preliminary stages of investigation. New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau agents and Crime Scene Team are processing the scene and conducting interviews to learn what happened, State Police said.

Once more information is learned and the investigation is complete, it will be presented to the District Attorney’s Office for prosecution, State Police said.

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