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Teenage boy accused of killing 4 family members in New Mexico home

By Jessie Yeung, CNN

(CNN) — A 16-year-old boy in New Mexico has been charged with killing four members of his family, state police said on Sunday.

Authorities in Valencia County received a 911 call in the early hours of Saturday when, according to state police, teenage suspect Diego Leyva said he had killed his family. Deputies were sent to the residence, located in the city of Belén, where Leyva walked out with his hands in the air.

He was “extremely intoxicated” and was taken into custody, police said.

Inside the residence, police found adults Leonardo Leyva and Adriana Bencomo, and teenagers Adrian and Alexander Leyva, aged 16 and 14, all deceased from suspected gunshot wounds. A handgun was located on the kitchen table, police said.

Leyva has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder and was booked into a juvenile detention center in Albuquerque after being medically cleared at a regional hospital.

State Police investigators and a crime scene team are now processing the scene and conducting interviews to learn what led to these events, said the state police. Once the investigation is completed, it will go to the district attorney’s office for prosecution.

One of the victims, Adriana, had served for many years as an active volunteer firefighter, said the Valencia County Fire Department in a statement. It added that the Rio Communities Fire Department was “shocked and saddened by this loss.”

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