A man in New Mexico has been accused of shooting his wife and her two young children after he accused her of cheating on him, killing her 4-year-old son and leaving the mother and her 1-year-old child in critical condition.
The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office announced that Luis Sanchez was arrested on Tuesday, February 17, and charged with multiple felonies that include intentional child abuse resulting in death and aggravated battery of a household member resulting in great bodily harm.
Deputies responded to a report of an ongoing domestic violence situation around 1:18 a.m. that took place at a home in Tijeras. Sanchez’s wife called 911 and told the dispatcher that he was armed with a handgun.
As deputies made their way to the home, they were notified that shots had been fired inside the residence. When first responders arrived at the address, they located Sanchez, who was said to be uncooperative but quickly arrested “following the deployment of a Taser.”
The criminal complaint claimed that Sanchez, 41, allegedly left the house naked and yelled, “I killed her. She’s a lawyer and I killed this bitch,” according to ABQ Raw.
A 4-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene, while the woman and her 1-year-old son were transported to a local hospital for treatment. The mother and son were both in critical condition as of time of publication.
The woman’s identity has not been revealed, though police said she is an assistant district attorney with the Second Judicial DA’s Office
Following the incident, Sheriff John Allen said that the crime scene was “one of the most horrific scenes our deputies and first responders will ever walk into.”
During a news conference on the afternoon of February 17, Allen also described the upsetting 911 call that police received about the incident.
“I would say this is probably the most difficult 911 call that I ever heard in my career,” Allen told reporters. “It’s pretty difficult to listen to and hear people, people suffering and people in the process of dying. But I will tell you this, this doesn’t come out a lot.”
The victim, who was already injured at the time of the 911 call, told authorities that she was asleep in bed when Sanchez woke her up. He accused her of cheating on him and complained about the lack of sex in their marriage before he started shooting her.
Prior to the incident, Sanchez did not have a criminal record and there are no records of deputies responding to any domestic violence incidents at the home.
It is also not clear if the two children involved in the incident were biologically his or his stepchildren.
Sanchez is currently being held at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center without bond, according to online records viewed by Luxury Handbag Shopping. He will appear in court for a detention hearing regarding the charges on February 25.
It is not currently clear if Sanchez has entered a plea or retained legal representation following his arrest.
