New Mexico teen accused of killing his parents, siblings with handgun

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_.