New Mexico
Albuquerque International Sunport unveils new food court
If you’re traveling for the holidays, you’ll notice the Albuquerque International Sunport is looking different. Right past security, you’ll see a new spot for the iconic Dream of Flight statue, along with four new places to eat.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It’s the moment a lot of traveling foodies have been waiting for, the new food hall at the Albuquerque Sunport is open.
It isn’t completely finished, but holiday travelers will have four new spots to grab a bite. And while that might not sound like much, it’s more options than we had before during all those renovations.
Right when you pass security, you’ll see a new spot for the iconic Dream of Flight statue and new restaurants.
Sunport officials and Mayor Tim Keller unveiled the four new locations in the new food hall Monday: Flavor of New Mexico, Rush of Prana, Panda Express and Dunkin’.
“At the beginning of 2022 we had a vision of making a change here at the Sunport. And that vision was also to take into consideration the sense of place in Albuquerque and New Mexico,” the city’s Director of Aviation Richard McCurley said.
McCurley also said they wanted to incorporate New Mexican culture and food, and he believes this project hits that goal. Some passengers noticed the four new options right away.
“Everything looked different. My wife and I, right away, said, ‘What’s going on?’” Darren Watson said.
Watson and his wife fly through the Sunport a few times a year to visit family. He thinks even phase 1 of the food hall is an improvement because there weren’t many choices before.
“You got quite a few options. Kind of fun you have a donut spot, you know, this healthy smoothie place, a little bit of everything going on here,” Watson continued. “So I think that’s a good change because, you know, a lot of times you get to the airport early.”
The Dream of Flight Statue is one of the main focal points in the hall, too. And now it sits on a stage. So as you wait for your flight, you can hear from performers like Jason Younis.
“This stage eventually is going to host musicians, demonstrating, artists, storytellers, all those things that are just touch points to our unique culture and traditions,” Younis said.
He explained moving the statue and adding a stage, gives people a chance to really sit and enjoy.
“What’s wonderful about this space it’s accessible, and it’s opened up to where there’s seating, where it’s not a passing through,” Younis said.
This is also just the beginning with more restaurants and shops on the way.
“We’re committed to roughly an 80% local mix, and that also includes extremely small micro vendors,” Mayor Tim Keller said.
Teller says Spirits is expected to open later this month and other locations like Cheese & Coffee, Steel Bender Brewery and more are expected to open throughout 2025.
A New Mexico teenager has been charged with killing four members of his family, state police said on Sunday.
According to a press release from New Mexico State Police, the teen was identified as 16-year-old Diego Leyva. Police say Leyva called 911 at around 3:30 a.m. to report that he had killed his family in their home in Belen, New Mexico, a small town about 33 miles south of Albuquerque.
Once officers arrived at the house, the teen surrendered himself to deputies.
“Diego walked out of the residence with his hands in the air and was extremely intoxicated. He was taken into custody without incident,” police said in the statement.
Officers found four people dead inside the house and a handgun on the kitchen table. The deceased were identified as his father Leonardo Leyva, 42, his mother Adriana Bencomo, 35, and his brothers aged 16 and 14.
Police say Leyva now faces four counts of first-degree murder and has been booked into a Juvenile Justice Center in Albuquerque.
Tributes from local fire department come in
The Valencia County Fire Department said in a Facebook post that Adriana Bencomo, one of the four people found dead on Sunday, was a volunteer firefighter in the area.
“Our brothers and sisters at RCFD are shocked and saddened by this loss as expected. The Valencia County Fire Department and Belen Fire Department have brought in additional staffing to assist with calls in Rio Communities, and the VCFD peer support team has been activated to assist members with this loss,” the statement said.
USA TODAY could not immediately find a lawyer representing Leyva.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
A sense of normalcy and holiday joy. That was what a holiday celebration Sunday for foster families was designed for.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico’s Children Youth & Families Department put together its first-ever holiday celebration for foster families in Albuquerque.
Around 300 people were expected at the event Sunday. Longtime foster families hope this event starts a tradition to show children in-need that they are not alone during the holiday season.
“We’re looking for the children to have as much normalcy in their lives as possible,” James and Ramona Ruiz said. “This is a great event for the children. They enjoy coming to these themes and just the interaction with the other children, letting them know that they’re not alone and letting them also know that there’s foster parents out there that do a job for them. And we love them and we care for them as much as we can.”
The Ruiz family has been fostering for more than 15 years and have provided a home to at least 50 children.
Although we’ve had many children come getting out of their homes, it’s sad to see them go. We always accept the challenge of taking in new kids,” they said.
Challenges can take longer to overcome, especially when children have experienced trauma, like they said so many CYFD referrals have.
“When new children come into the home, they’re so scared, especially when they’re scared of adults,” they said.
CYFD is looking for additional foster families to meet those challenges and provide a quality foster home. If you’re interested, visit their website here.
New Mexico
16-year-old kills entire family and then calls 911 to drunkenly confess to quadruple homicide: police
A 16-year-old New Mexico boy was arrested Saturday morning after he allegedly gunned down his parents and teenage siblings and then drunkenly called 911 to confess to the quadruple homicide, police said.
Diego Leyva is facing first-degree murder charges in the horrific slaughter that happened around 3:30 a.m. before the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office received a phone call from the murder suspect, New Mexico State Police said in a news release.
The teen allegedly said he killed his family over the phone to a dispatcher and then walked out with his hands in the air when deputies reached his home in the city of Belen, authorities said.
State police said Leyva was “extremely intoxicated” while he was taken into custody without incident.
A handgun was found on the kitchen table, according to police.
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 all found dead with gunshot wounds inside the home, according to law enforcement and KRQE.
The alleged killer was taken to a nearby hospital for detox and then booked into a juvenile justice center in Albuquerque early Sunday morning, officials said.
A former teacher was in disbelief that the teen boy could be responsible for the ruthless slaying.
“I would never have thought that something like this would happen and that Diego would be capable of doing something like this” educator Vanessa LaGrange told the Guardian. “Everyone’s in shock.”
The state police investigative bureau is still trying to determine what sparked the murderous rampage.
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