A judge ordered Elaina Gomez-Villeda held in custody after viewing evidence from the Halloween confrontation that killed 16-year-old Keinerlein Rangel.
ALBUQUERQUE, NM — Security-camera video played during a court hearing showed the moments leading to the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old girl by a 10-year-old boy during a Halloween dispute between neighboring families over loud music, according to investigators and local news reports.
The footage became a key part of a detention hearing Friday for the boy’s mother, 40-year-old Elaina Gomez-Villeda, who faces an open count of murder and other charges in the death of Keinerlein Rangel. Bernalillo County District Judge Joseph Montaño ordered Gomez-Villeda to remain in custody while her criminal case proceeds. She is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The confrontation happened Oct. 31 at an apartment complex in Albuquerque’s International District. Authorities said the dispute began after Gomez-Villeda approached neighbors about loud music. The disagreement later became physical between Gomez-Villeda and Rangel’s mother, with Rangel and Gomez-Villeda’s 10-year-old son becoming involved as the confrontation escalated.
Albuquerque police Detective Chase Jewell testified that the security recording captured Gomez-Villeda telling her son to get a gun and later warning those nearby that he was going to shoot. The footage showed the boy return to the doorway holding a revolver as the adults continued fighting. Prosecutors said he fired one round that missed before firing again, striking Rangel.
Defense attorney Roberta Yurcic disputed prosecutors’ interpretation of the mother’s actions. She argued that Gomez-Villeda had been attacked during the fight and stressed that the detective did not testify that Gomez-Villeda explicitly told her son to shoot anyone. The defense opposed prosecutors’ request to keep Gomez-Villeda jailed before trial.
Montaño sided with prosecutors on detention. During the hearing, he pointed to the circumstances surrounding a 10-year-old child’s ability to obtain and use the revolver as he considered whether release conditions could adequately protect the community. Court records identify the Nov. 6 proceeding as a hearing on the state’s motion for pretrial detention.
Investigators said the gun used in the fatal shooting had been reported stolen. Authorities also found additional unsecured firearms inside Gomez-Villeda’s apartment, according to the Bernalillo County District Attorney’s Office. Police have said the accessibility of the weapons, along with the mother’s alleged actions during the confrontation, is part of the criminal investigation.
The events did not end with Rangel’s shooting. Authorities said Gomez-Villeda took her son back into the apartment. Rangel’s father later approached the apartment and tried to get inside after learning what had happened. Prosecutors allege Gomez-Villeda then fired a gun from inside the residence. Police arriving at the scene also reported gunfire from the apartment, and an officer fired toward Gomez-Villeda without striking her before she was taken into custody.
Gomez-Villeda has been charged with an open count of murder, child abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and other offenses. The exact allegations will have to be proved in court. The security video and detective testimony presented at the detention hearing do not amount to a determination of guilt.
The 10-year-old boy has not been publicly identified. Authorities have said they are reviewing whether he could face criminal charges because of his age. The investigation into Rangel’s death remains active, while Gomez-Villeda is expected to remain in custody as her case moves through the Second Judicial District Court.
Author note: Last updated November 8, 2026.