New Mexico

New Mexico mother accused of allowing her 5-year-old son to slowly starve to death

Published

2 years ago

May 2, 2024

New Mexico mother accused of allowing her 5-year-old son to slowly starve to death

In the years prior to the boy’s death, state investigators with the Children, Youth, and Families Department had responded to at least four reports of neglect involving the child.

A New Mexico mother has been arrested after authorities say she is suspected of allowing her 5-year-old son to slowly die by starvation.

Marecella Vasquez Montelongo, 23, was arrested in late February months after her son, who had Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities, was found in July unconscious and not breathing at her Albuquerque home. The boy was pronounced dead and an autopsy later determined that he died of starvation and dehydration due to neglect, according to a criminal complaint provided to USA TODAY.

In the years prior to the boy’s death, state investigators with the Children, Youth, and Families Department had responded to at least four reports of neglect involving the child, according to the complaint.

Montelongo had her first court appearance Wednesday in a Bernalillo County court room on a charge of child abuse resulting in death. A judge ruled that Montelongo must remain in custody until the start of her trial and complete an addiction treatment program, according to KOAT-TV, which was the first to report on the case.

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Child appeared to be ‘skin and bones’ at his death

Albuquerque police were dispatched to Montelongo’s home on July 16 after receiving a report of the unresponsive child. While paramedics attempted life-saving measures, the boy was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the complaint, dated Feb. 26.

Montelongo told police at the scene that she had fed her son but that he had vomited. Shortly after, she noticed he was not breathing and called 911, the complaint states.

At the time of his death, the boy appeared as “skin and bones,” with his hip bones clearly defined and open ulcers on his tailbone, according to the complaint. When medical examiners conducted a preliminary autopsy, they discovered that the boy had dropped to a weight of about 13.6 pounds.

The final autopsy, which was completed in October, concluded that Montelongo’s son had died from starvation and dehydration, and ruled that the manner of death was a homicide.

‘Red flags’ surfaced before boy’s July death

The boy was nonverbal, blind, used a wheelchair and required round-the-clock care, according to investigators. Montelongo was required to give her son medication three times a day through a gastrostomy tube, otherwise known as a G-tube.

However, Montelongo routinely missed her son’s doctor’s appointments, including five since December 2022. While she noticed her son was losing weight, she told investigators that she did not think it was a concern, the complaint states.

Since the boy’s birth, the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department received four reports of medical neglect, including one report that was substantiated, according to the complaint.

Though the child was enrolled at he New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, records provided to investigators showed that he only reported for on day of school in September 2022 and never showed up again.

“This defendant made efforts to hide the abuse and this child’s demise from medical advisors and the school,” Bernalillo County Judge David Murphy said at Montelongo’s hearing, according to video aired by KOAT-TV.

Some advocates went so far as to question how Montelongo was able to retain custody of her son following the series of red flags.

“We had medical providers, educational providers, service providers and family members raising flags,” Maralyn Beck, founder and executive director of the nonprofit New Mexico Child Network told KOAT-TV. “Yet here we are.”

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com

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New Mexico

Pentagon and FAA agree to conduct anti-drone laser tests in New Mexico

Published

1 hour ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Pentagon and FAA agree to conduct anti-drone laser tests in New Mexico

The Pentagon and the Federal Aviation Administration agreed to conduct anti-drone laser tests in New Mexico after the military’s deployment of the lasers led the FAA to suddenly close airspace in Texas twice in the last month.

The newly announced testing was being carried out to “specifically address FAA safety concerns,” the military said Friday in a statement. It was to take place Saturday and Sunday at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

Lawmakers were concerned about an apparent lack of coordination after the Pentagon allowed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to use an anti-drone laser in early February without notifying the FAA. The federal agency that ensures safety in the skies decided to close the airspace over El Paso for a few hours, stranding many travelers.

The Trump administration said it was working to halt an incursion by Mexican cartel drones, which are not uncommon along the southern border.

On Feb. 26 the U.S. military used the laser to shoot down a “seemingly threatening” drone flying near the U.S.-Mexico border. It turned out the drone belonged to Customs and Border Protection, lawmakers said.

The incident led the FAA to close the airspace around Fort Hancock, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of El Paso.

“We appreciate the coordination with the Department of War to help ensure public safety,” the FAA said of the testing, in a separate statement. “The FAA and DOW are working with interagency partners to address emerging threats posed by unmanned aircraft systems while maintaining the safety of the National Airspace System.”

The military is required to formally notify the FAA when it takes any counter-drone action inside U.S. airspace.

Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth, the ranking member on the Senate’s Aviation Subcommittee, called previously for an independent investigation after the two February incidents.

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New Mexico

Albury leads New Mexico against Utah State after 22-point game

Published

14 hours ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Albury leads New Mexico against Utah State after 22-point game

New Mexico Lobos (22-8, 13-6 MWC) at Utah State Aggies (24-6, 14-5 MWC)

Logan, Utah; Saturday, 4 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: New Mexico takes on Utah State after Deyton Albury scored 22 points in New Mexico’s 82-74 loss to the Colorado State Rams.

The Aggies have gone 13-1 in home games. Utah State scores 82.7 points and has outscored opponents by 12.2 points per game.

The Lobos are 13-6 in conference matchups. New Mexico is second in the MWC allowing 70.1 points while holding opponents to 41.7% shooting.

Utah State makes 50.1% of its shots from the field this season, which is 8.4 percentage points higher than New Mexico has allowed to its opponents (41.7%). New Mexico scores 9.9 more points per game (80.4) than Utah State gives up to opponents (70.5).

The teams square off for the second time this season in MWC play. Utah State won the last matchup 86-66 on Feb. 5. Mason Falslev scored 19 points points to help lead the Aggies to the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Michael Collins Jr. is scoring 17.3 points per game with 2.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists for the Aggies. Falslev is averaging 15.4 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 50.0% over the past 10 games.

Jake Hall is shooting 48.6% and averaging 15.8 points for the Lobos. Antonio Chol is averaging 1.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Aggies: 7-3, averaging 79.5 points, 28.5 rebounds, 16.6 assists, 7.2 steals and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 47.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 75.4 points per game.

Lobos: 6-4, averaging 79.8 points, 32.0 rebounds, 14.0 assists, 7.0 steals and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 47.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 74.6 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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