In the quiet community of Los Lunas, New Mexico, a distressing call to the Valencia County Sheriff's Office on the afternoon of December 18, 2024, marked the beginning of a tragic event. The caller was 61-year-old John Miramontes, a male resident of the area, who managed to report that he had been shot at a home on El Cerro Loop before his strength gave out.
Deputies arriving at the scene found Miramontes suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
In his final moments, he was able to provide crucial information to the authorities, identifying his attacker as a woman named Amy. He also alerted them to a second victim inside the residence. Miramontes was rushed to the University of New Mexico Hospital, but tragically, he succumbed to his injuries. His last words would prove instrumental in the investigation that followed.
Acting on the information provided by Miramontes, law enforcement officials descended upon the house on El Cerro Loop. Inside, they made a grim discovery; the body of 64-year-old George Yzquierdo, who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head. A subsequent search of the home led them to the bathroom, where they found 41-year-old Amy Pendleton hiding. She was taken into custody without a struggle.
Pendleton was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of both John Miramontes and George Yzquierdo. It was later revealed that at the time of the alleged crimes, Pendleton was on probation. She was booked into the Valencia County Detention Center to await legal proceedings. The motive for the double homicide has not been publicly released as the investigation continues.
