Mother arrested after 10-year-old shoots teen over noise complaint

Elaina Gomez-Villeda, 40, was arrested after her 10-year-old son fatally shot 16-year-old Keinerlein Rangel during a dispute over loud music in Northeast Albuquerque. The incident occurred at an apartment in the 200 block of Tennessee, north of Central, on Saturday afternoon. Gomez-Villeda now faces multiple charges related to the death and the handling of the child and the weapon.

Gomez-Villeda is charged with an open count of murder, child abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, negligently making a firearm accessible to a minor, battery, and receiving a stolen firearm. She is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center. The 10-year-old boy remains unidentified while detectives work with the 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office and state officials to determine potential criminal charges based on his age.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court, Gomez-Villeda called 911 at approximately 4:02 p.m. on Saturday. She told dispatchers she had been jumped and that one of the girls involved had been shot. The complaint notes that the caller’s son shot the victim and was inside the apartment with his mother at the time.

Rangel’s mother stated that she and her daughter were listening to music when Gomez-Villeda knocked on the door to complain about the volume. Minutes later, while the women were installing a security camera, Gomez-Villeda exited her apartment and punched both of them an unknown number of times. Police said that during the physical confrontation, Rangel’s mother told officers that Gomez-Villeda’s son tried to break up the fight. He was then instructed to retrieve a handgun from the apartment. He returned with the weapon and shot Rangel in the head.

After the shooting, Gomez-Villeda took her son back inside. She texted her husband, “I’m probably going to jail right now,” and called 911. While she was on the phone, Rangel’s father attempted to open the door and broke a window. Gomez-Villeda grabbed a gun and fired it inside the apartment in an attempt to scare him, according to the complaint. She later told police, “I thought we were gonna die; these people, they do this a lot, and I didn’t think I was gonna be the target, but it is what it is.”

When officers arrived, they observed someone shooting from inside the apartment. Officers took cover before three people exited, followed by Gomez-Villeda, who was armed. An officer fired toward her, with bullets striking a pillar. The firearm used to kill Rangel was found outside Gomez-Villeda’s apartment. It was reportedly stolen from Santa Fe. Police said Gomez-Villeda’s actions posed a serious risk to the health and safety of her son and Rangel, citing his easy access to the firearm during an active fight.

Homicide detectives are continuing to investigate Rangel’s death. The Multi-Agency Task Force is reviewing the actions of the officer who discharged a weapon during the scene. APD spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos confirmed the ongoing coordination with state officials regarding the boy’s potential liability.