Court records or official statements from the New Mexico judicial system

16-Year-Old Arrested for Alleged Quadruple Homicide of Family in Belen, New Mexico

Dec 15, 2024, 10:00 PM

A 16-year-old boy, Diego Leyva, has been arrested in connection with the deaths of four family members in a rural area of New Mexico. The incident occurred at their home in Camino Escondido, Belen, near Valencia County, where the victims were found fatally injured amidst Christmas decorations. Leyva allegedly called 911 around 3:30 a.m. on Saturday, admitting to the killings. He was extremely intoxicated at the time and surrendered to authorities without incident. A handgun was found on the kitchen table. The victims were identified as Leonardo Leyva, 42; Adriana Bencomo, 35; Adrian Leyva, 16; and Alexander Leyva, 14. Diego Leyva was taken to a hospital for detoxification before being booked into a juvenile detention center on four open counts of murder. The investigation into the motive of the quadruple homicide is ongoing.