An Albuquerque, New Mexico man has been arrested on charges of allegedly killing and dismembering his mother before placing her remains in a freezer, according to reports.
Court records show 49-year-old Leroy Vallejos was booked into the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center on Wednesday. He faces charges including first-degree murder, battery, battery of a household member, and tampering with evidence. Vallejos is currently being held under preventative detention.
The Albuquerque Police Department reported that Vallejos admitted to choking his 69-year-old mother, Ernestina Lucero, to death nearly three weeks ago, KRQE Albuquerque reported. Police further revealed that Vallejos claimed his mother was part of a “group of people giving their lives to darkness” who were conspiring against him.
Officers conducted a welfare check at Lucero’s home last Tuesday after Vallejos informed a healthcare company that his mother had been missing for about a week. He had contacted the company to request payment for her care despite not having seen her recently. During the welfare check, Vallejos allowed officers inside and told them his mother had gone to Mexico. However, officers found Lucero’s prescriptions still in her bedroom.
One officer reportedly found garbage bags inside a large freezer, which were later determined to contain the remains of a female, according to the station. This discovery prompted a more thorough search of the home, where officers found a saw with what appeared to be dried blood stains under a sink.
Prior to the welfare check, another family member had reported Lucero missing, leading the police department to issue a missing person bulletin on October 23 and begin an investigation. Preliminary findings indicated that Vallejos had allegedly withdrawn money from his mother’s bank account, and her vehicle had been sold before she was reported missing.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to gather evidence in this disturbing case.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-mexico-man-allegedly-kills-mother-stores-dismembered-remains-home-freezer-weeks-report
