New Mexico
Teen charged with murders of four family members
The investigation continues in Valencia County after a 16-year-old boy was charged with the murders of his parents and brothers.
RIO COMMUNITIES, N.M. — New Mexico State Police reported that officers were investigating the deaths of four people in Rio Communities on Saturday.
Teenager Diego Leyva was arrested for with shooting and killing four of his family members, according to police.
He was in court Monday for the first time, and he’s now charged with four open counts of murder.
Levya is only 16, so KOB will not be showing him during any court proceedings.
Around 3:30 a.m. Saturday, Levya called 911 saying he killed his family, according to police.
Valencia County Sheriff’s deputies responded first and said that Levya walked out of the house, drunk, with his hands in the air saying he killed his family.
When deputies searched the house, they found a handgun on the kitchen table.
Levya is accused of killing his brothers, ages 17 and 14, and his parents.
They were all found with gunshot wounds.
Monday in court a judge ruled he should be kept in jail ahead of a possible trial.
“Based upon the allegations and the circumstances surrounding this matter, the court is going to find that the child is a danger to himself and others, and the court is going to order that he be held in detention at this time,” the judge said.
Levya’s defense claimed his should be released because he has no history of violence and some other family members were willing to take custody of him.
The state argued he’s a danger to himself and society, adding that when deputies found Levya at the crime scene he was hitting himself over the head.
Monday, KOB learned more about his mother, Adriana Bencomo. She was a firefighter with the Rio Communities Volunteer Fire Department since 2007.
Fire Chief Andrew Tabet said he’s followed her career since she joined the department, adding that she loved her community and just wanted to be there for people their worst day.
“There’s more memories than I can even talk about,” Tabet said. “I’ve known her entire career. She always would make us laugh, even on a really rough call, she always had a smile on her face. She always had everything, and it was just that much more funny, because she truly cared if you were OK.”
We still don’t know what led up to this alleged shooting or why Levya may have done this, but it’s very clear that this tragedy has hit this small community hard.
Belen Schools Superintendent Lawrence Sanchez confirmed Monday that Levya is a Belen High School student, and his 14-year-old brother was a Belen Middle School student.
The district is offering additional counseling services to both schools, he said. Sanchez also said that other districts around the state have reached out to offer resources as well.
The Bureau of Land Management will begin selling Christmas tree permits in New Mexico on Nov. 24.
Permits will be available at the Farmington, Taos, Socorro and Rio Puerco field offices, as well as at the New Mexico State Office, according to a community announcement. The permits must be purchased before Dec. 24 and cost $5 per tree.
Permits and maps can be obtained over the counter at local BLM offices or, for some locations, online at https://forestproducts.blm.gov. If purchasing online, buyers must have access to a printer to print the permit and map.
When transporting a tree taken from BLM public land, the haul tag provided with the permit must be attached to the tree.
The BLM has developed georeferenced maps compatible with any georeferenced map mobile application. Those with a smartphone can download a map before heading out to harvest a tree by visiting the BLM website.
Before visiting a local BLM office to obtain a permit, it is recommended to call the office to confirm services and staff availability. The locations where permits may be available include:
- Rio Puerco Field Office, 100 Sun Ave., NE, Suite 330, Albuquerque, NM 87109, (505) 761-8700
- Socorro Field Office, 901 S. Old U.S. Hwy 85, Socorro, NM 87801, (575) 835-0412
- New Mexico State Office, 301 Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87508, (505) 954-2000
- Farmington Field Office, 6251 College Blvd, Farmington, NM 87402, (505) 564-7600
- Taos Field Office, 1024 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos, NM 87571-5983, (575) 758-8851
For more information about Christmas tree permits, contact the local BLM office or the BLM New Mexico State Office at 505-954-2222.
This story was created by reporter Andy Dossett, ADossett@usatodayco.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.
New Mexico football coach Jason Eck has agreed to a five-year contract extension that will keep him with the Lobos until 2030, the school announced Sunday.
In his first regular season as head coach, Eck took the Lobos to a 9-3 record — the program’s best mark since 1982 and only the fourth time they have won nine games since 1997.
Eck’s new deal includes an increase in average salary to $1.75 million from $1.25 million, sources told ESPN. A former Wisconsin offensive lineman, Eck spent three seasons as head coach at Idaho where he went 26-13 before being hired by the Lobos last December.
New Mexico’s nine-win season and 6-2 record in the Mountain West earned them a tie for first place in the conference. But the conference’s tiebreaker (based on a composite average of nationally recognized metrics: Connelly SP+, ESPN SOR, KPI and SportSource rankings) determined that Boise State and UNLV would face each other in the title game.
If Eck can lead the Lobos to a bowl win, however, it will be the first 10-win season the program has had in 43 years.
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