New Mexico
Recent violence involving teens leaves Rio Rancho on edge
After a shooting claimed the life of a 15-year-old boy in Rio Rancho, families are more concerned than ever for their safety.
The football game between Cleveland and Rio Rancho high schools on Friday night was already scheduled to have a greater police presence.
The stadium went on lockdown at the end of the game, as Rio Rancho Police confirmed it was because officers were looking into more possible threats. That was on the heels of two other big scares — and one tragic loss.
“I sort of, I blame it a lot on the parents,” said a Rio Rancho woman who asked not to be named.
This woman takes her grandkids to the park instead of letting them play in the front yard.
She said it doesn’t feel safe anymore.
After a string of threats and violence in Rio Rancho, she said change has to start at home.
“You know, the cops could (only) do so much,” she said. “You know, courts could do so much. But at the end of the day, it comes from the home within. What’s going on at home.”
Earlier this week, police found 15-year-old Adrian Maestas shot near the intersection of Inca and 2nd Street in southeast Rio Rancho.
His family said he was on life support but died days later.
“You know the family, you know that they have to go through this 15 year old’s (death),” she said. “God, he still had a life to live.”
Our KOB 4 cameras captured this SWAT situation at a house near that scene Friday, but police have not confirmed if it’s connected. Officers haven’t made arrests, keeping the community on edge.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Rio Rancho resident Wes Edlang. “I can’t really believe that’s even going on around here, and I haven’t heard about it, but until you just told me, it’s really shocking to hear.”
The shooting happened a week after a Rio Rancho house party was broken up by gunfire. Police are still looking for whoever fired the shots that night.
Meanwhile, Attorney General Raul Torrez announced a proposal for stiffer penalties for making school shooting threats.
“Unfortunately, in the state of New Mexico, we currently treat threats against our schools as misdemeanors, and I don’t think that is in alignment with where we are as a community,” he said.
He wants to make this crime a felony. And local leaders agreed.
“It causes chaos in the community,” said Rio Rancho Police Chief Stewart Steele. “It causes chaos within the schools, and, quite frankly, chaos for our educators.”
That type of chaos was on full display Friday night.
In a statement, a Rio Rancho school district spokesperson said a football player got Snapchat messages, including a picture of a gun and the Cleveland High School field. But there was no direct threat.
Police held players until the parking lot was clear and released athletes 10 at a time.
Just one more potential instance of violence that this community has to process. Police are still asking for any information on all three of these incidents. If you know anything call Rio Rancho Police.
Native Vote 2026
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A Laguna Pueblo woman is the front runner to be New Mexico’s next governor.
Shortly after polls closed Tuesday night, Deb Haaland was declared the winner over Bernalillo County district attorney Sam Bregman in the state’s semi-open Democratic Party primary. As of 11:00 p.m., Haaland carried support from 72% of the Democratic primary voters to Bregman’s 28%, according to unofficial results from the New Mexico Secretary of State.
“We’re showing everyone that a better future in New Mexico is possible,” she told supporters gathered in Albuquerque’s historic Old Town Plaza. “New Mexicans want a leader who will stand up for working people, and who is ready to take on Donald Trump. I proudly accept your nomination as a Democratic nominee.”
Haaland spoke for 13 minutes, at times through a scratchy throat that required her to pause for water breaks. “Excuse me, I’ve been talking with voters all day,” she said while grabbing a water bottle before hitting her campaign stump notes on affordability, health care and public safety.
She will face Republican Gregg Hull, a former mayor from suburban Rio Rancho that won his party’s three-way primary with 47% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the New Mexico Secretary of State.
Haaland will be the Democratic Party nominee in a state dominated at every level by Democrats, and is expected to be heavily favored in the general election. With that insight she said her campaign message does translate to Republicans and Independent voters.
“We want our kids to thrive. We want our kids to have a quality, public education. We want every New Mexican to have health care. Everybody wants to feel safe in their neighborhoods, and everybody wants to be able to afford to put a hot meal on their table every night and have a roof over their children’s heads,” she said. “Those issues transcend whatever political spectrum we’re trying to slice and dice people into.”
Shortly after the race was called, Haaland campaign staff, major donors, surrogates, and their families walked from a building on the west side of Albuquerque’s Old Town Plaza to the historic plaza core, where the Haaland campaign had set up a stage and reserved the entire plaza for its victory celebration.
“We are now witnessing history in the making,” New Mexico state Rep. Derrick Lente (Sandia Pueblo) said to supporters immediately after Haaland was declared the winner.
Denise Wilie (Dine) also joined the celebration of Haaland’s victory. Wilie said she worked on get-out-the-vote efforts with the Native American Voters Alliance in McKinley County.
“It just is so exhilarating to even think about, a woman and a Pueblo woman,” she said. “Indigenous all the way, is how I feel. I’m like, yes, let’s get more of our voices.”
Haaland was introduced by her two sisters and walked to the stage escorted by a mariachi band.
Speaking to reporters after the event Haaland reflected on voting for a Pueblo woman (herself) for governor.
“I got emotional, quite frankly, when I went to vote for myself because you do that when you’re a candidate,” she said. “We’ve never had a Native American governor in New Mexico. We’re a multicultural state. I think representation matters, especially in a political era such as this one. So, I’m really proud and honored to carry on the legacy of my ancestors, who worked so incredibly hard to make sure that I had a place here today.”
Related
When a famly unexpectedly loses a loved one, or has someone go missing, the details of what comes next can be overwhelming.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – When a famly unexpectedly loses a loved one, or has someone go missing, the details of what comes next can be overwhelming.
But they don’t have to do it alone thanks to an organization helping New Mexico families with some of those burdens.
Watch the video above for more.
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