Police say the Albuquerque woman told her 10-year-old son to retrieve a handgun during a fight with neighboring residents.
ALBUQUERQUE, NM — A New Mexico mother has been charged with murder and other crimes after authorities said her 10-year-old son fatally shot a 16-year-old neighbor during a dispute over loud music at an Albuquerque apartment complex.
Elaina Gomez-Villeda, 40, was arrested in connection with the Oct. 31 death of Keinerlein Rangel. Albuquerque police list the shooting at 238 Tennessee St. NE as a homicide and identify Gomez-Villeda as the person arrested in the case. Authorities say the investigation is continuing, while prosecutors and state officials consider how the boy’s age affects any possible criminal case involving him.
According to a criminal complaint, the dispute began when Gomez-Villeda went to a neighboring apartment and asked residents to turn down their music. The neighboring woman told investigators the music was not loud, and Gomez-Villeda returned to her apartment. A few minutes later, the woman and her teenage daughter went outside to install a security camera above their door, according to the complaint.
Police said another argument then developed and turned physical. The teenage daughter intervened during the confrontation, according to investigators. Authorities allege Gomez-Villeda told her 10-year-old son to go inside and retrieve her handgun. The boy returned with the firearm and fired once, fatally striking Rangel, police said.
Investigators said Gomez-Villeda then took her son into their apartment and shut the door. The complaint says she contacted her husband before calling 911 to report what had happened. Gomez-Villeda later told detectives that her neighbors had attacked her after she complained about the music.
Police said officers responding to the apartment complex encountered additional gunfire after the fatal shooting. Local authorities said Gomez-Villeda was armed when she later came outside and that an officer fired toward her but did not strike her. The officer’s use of force is being reviewed separately by a multi-agency task force.
A search of Gomez-Villeda’s apartment found additional firearms that were not secured, according to the criminal complaint. Authorities also said a revolver recovered outside the apartment had been reported stolen. Gomez-Villeda faces an open count of murder as well as charges that include child abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, negligently making a firearm accessible to a minor, battery and receiving a stolen firearm.
Prosecutors have asked that Gomez-Villeda remain in custody while the case proceeds. In a court filing reported by The Associated Press, prosecutors said she did not have a substantial criminal record but alleged that her conduct showed an extreme disregard for the safety of others. Court records reviewed by the AP did not immediately identify an attorney representing her.
The 10-year-old boy has not been charged, and police have not released his name. Albuquerque police said detectives are working with the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office and state officials to determine what legal action, if any, may be appropriate because of his age. The homicide investigation remains ongoing.
Author note: Last updated November 2, 2026.