BELEN, NM — A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the deaths of four family members in a rural area of New Mexico, authorities said Sunday.
State police said the victims were found shot to death early Saturday morning in their home in Valencia County.
The teen’s name was withheld by The Associated Press on Sunday because he is a juvenile.
Police spokesman Ray Wilson said the suspect was extremely intoxicated at the scene and was taken to a hospital for detoxification.
The teen will be booked into a juvenile detention center after his release from the hospital on four open murder charges, according to Wilson, who said the medical examiner’s office is still trying to identify the victims.
Authorities said the boy called 911 around 3:30 a.m. Saturday and allegedly told a dispatcher that he had killed his entire family.
When officers arrived on scene, they said the suspect walked out of the house with his hands in the air and surrendered without incident.
Officers reported finding four dead in the home and a gun on the kitchen table.
Wilson said the county sheriff’s office has turned the case over to state police for investigation into the quadruple homicide.