Inset: Elaina Gomez-Villeda (Albuquerque police). Background: Police investigate after Gomez-Villeda’s 10-year-old son allegedly shot a 16-year-old girl to death in Albuquerque, N.M. (KOAT/YouTube).
A New Mexico mother is being held in jail after authorities said her 10-year-old son fatally shot a 16-year-old girl during a confrontation over loud music at an Albuquerque apartment complex.
Elaina Gomez-Villeda faces charges including murder, conspiracy to commit a felony, child abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, negligently making a firearm accessible to a minor, battery and receiving stolen property, according to jail records.
The shooting occurred at about 4 p.m. Saturday in the 200 block of Tennessee Street in Albuquerque. A criminal complaint obtained by local ABC affiliate KOAT alleges that Gomez-Villeda went to a neighboring apartment and asked residents to lower their music. The victim was identified as 16-year-old Keinerlein Rangel.
The dispute escalated into a physical fight involving Gomez-Villeda, Rangel and Rangel’s mother, according to police. The 10-year-old attempted to intervene, and investigators allege that his mother instructed him to “retrieve a gun from their apartment.”
Police said the boy returned outside with the firearm and fired at least one shot at Rangel, killing her. Gomez-Villeda and her son then went back into their apartment, authorities said.
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Officers arriving at the scene reported hearing a gunshot from inside the apartment. Gomez-Villeda allegedly emerged holding a firearm, prompting one officer to fire at her. The officer missed, and she dropped the weapon before police took her into custody.
During an interview with investigators, Gomez-Villeda claimed that she—not her son—had fired the shot inside the apartment. She told police that Rangel’s father was attempting to force his way into the home and said she had called 911.
“I thought we were gonna die; these people, they do it a lot, and I didn’t think I was gonna be the target, but it is what it is,” she said, according to ABQRaw.com.
The criminal complaint also says Gomez-Villeda sent a text message to her husband stating, “I’m probably going to jail right now.”
Prosecutors have not yet determined whether the 10-year-old will face criminal charges. Gomez-Villeda remains at the Metropolitan Detention Center without bond.