Adriana Bencomo, a 35-year-old White woman known to friends as “Andy,” was a dedicated member of her community in Valencia County, New Mexico. Originally from Mexico, she was a bilingual mother who colleagues said “absolutely loved being a mom.” For over 15 years, she served as a volunteer firefighter with the Rio Communities Fire Department, where her chief remembered her as a happy and genuine person who was always there for people.
She was so determined to serve that she returned to Mexico City to earn her firefighter certifications before getting her EMT license in the United States.
In the early morning of December 14, 2024, Adriana was killed in a quadruple homicide at her family’s home in Belen. Also killed were her husband, 42-year-old Leonardo Leyva, and their two sons, 17-year-old Adrian and 14-year-old Alexander. All four were found deceased from what investigators suspected were gunshot wounds. The tragedy shocked the tight-knit community and her fellow firefighters, who mourned the loss of a family.
The incident came to light around 3:30 a.m. when the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from the couple's 16-year-old son, Diego Leyva. In the call, Diego told the dispatcher that he had killed his parents and his "whole family." When deputies arrived at the home on Camino Escondido, Diego walked out with his hands in the air and was taken into custody without incident. He was described as being “extremely intoxicated.” Inside the residence, deputies found the four victims and located a handgun on the kitchen table.
After his arrest, Diego was transported to a local hospital for detoxification. When the 911 dispatcher asked why he had done it, he replied, "I don't know. Someone, a bad spirit possessed me." After he was sober, he told investigators that a voice had told him to kill his family. Once medically cleared on December 15, he was booked into the Juvenile Justice Center in Albuquerque and charged with four open counts of first-degree murder. The New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau took lead on the case.
On December 30, 2024, a Valencia County grand jury indicted Diego Leyva on all four counts of first-degree murder. The following month, in January 2025, a judge granted a defense motion for a competency evaluation. The criminal prosecution was placed on hold while the evaluation continues.
