A New Mexico home was the scene of a tragic incident on Saturday when a teenage boy was arrested and charged with murder. According to authorities, he confessed to killing four members of his own family.
At 3:32 a.m., a 16-year-old boy reached out to 911 to report the deaths in the vicinity of Belen, a small city located 33 miles south of Albuquerque, as revealed by the New Mexico State Police.
Police said the teenager, who was “extremely intoxicated,” left a residence and willingly surrendered to the arriving deputies with his hands raised.
Authorities discovered four deceased individuals inside the residence, with a handgun resting on the kitchen table, according to the police.
The teenager’s identity and the victims’ names were released by state police, but it is not our usual practice at NBC News to name juveniles who are accused of crimes.
Four individuals, aged 42, 35, 16, and 14, tragically lost their lives. The nature of their connections to both each other and the suspect remains undisclosed. However, law enforcement confirmed that the suspect confessed to the dispatcher that he was responsible for the deaths of his family members.
No additional information, including a possible motive, was released by the authorities.
The agency stated that agents from the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau and Crime Scene Team are currently processing the scene and conducting interviews in order to gather information about the circumstances leading up to these tragic events.
After receiving detoxification treatment at a hospital, the teenage suspect underwent a “medical clearance” process and was then taken into custody at the Juvenile Justice Center in Albuquerque in the early hours of Sunday, as confirmed by the police.
The police have charged the suspect with four counts of first-degree murder and have taken them into custody at the Juvenile Justice Center in Albuquerque.
The police stated that they will present the completed investigation to the district attorney’s office for prosecution.
The suspect’s legal representation is currently unclear, as it is not known whether they have legal counsel. Requests for comment from public defenders in Albuquerque, who may potentially represent the suspect, have not been answered at this time.
