By Sean P. Thomas
The Santa Fe New Mexican
SAN MIGUEL COUNTY, N.M. — A Las Vegas, N.M., man was arrested Sunday on suspicion of fatally shooting two people at a residence and streamed one of the killings live on Facebook, authorities said.
The man barricaded himself in the home and fired shots at San Miguel County sheriff’s deputies who responded to the scene before he surrendered, police said.
Alejandro Alirez, 23, is facing two counts of first-degree murder, four counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon and one count of shooting at an occupied building, New Mexico State Police said in a news release issued Monday.
Alirez is accused of killing his girlfriend, Cristal Cervantes, 33, and her grandfather, Victor Cervantes, 89, who both lived at 409 Peggy Lane in Las Vegas, where the incident occurred, according to state police. The agency said Alirez livestreamed part of the incident.
“Agents observed that Alirez livestreamed a portion of the event, including Alirez walking around inside the residence with a handgun and shooting Cristal Cervantes,” the statement said.
The criminal complaint says Alirez could be heard during the livestream saying he “shot her grandpa,” as well as, “I killed this guy. My girlfriend is still alive.”
Alirez later remarked on the video that he believed his “girl is about to die,” and that he “shot her in the head,” the criminal complaint says. He then voiced his desire to shoot at law enforcement officers again and fired a round. He said he was planning to “kill these two fools and leave,” according to the complaint.
The news release said state police were asked to aid the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office in a response to a double homicide at the home.
The sheriff’s office initially received a report of an armed and angry man at the home around 3 p.m. Sunday. When deputies arrived, the state police statement said, Alirez began to shoot at them. They took cover behind their patrol vehicles, one of which was struck by gunfire. No deputies were injured.
State police crisis negotiators spoke with Alirez by phone and convinced him to leave the home and surrender peacefully, the statement said.
That’s when officers discovered the bodies of Cristal Cervantes and Victor Cervantes, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday in San Miguel County Magistrate Court.
State police agents have obtained a search warrant to review video of the homicide that was streamed on Facebook, according to the statement.
At the state police office in Las Vegas, Alirez waived his Miranda rights and told officers that a few weeks prior to the fatal shooting, he began to notice he was being molested in his sleep. He said he believed his girlfriend was allowing people to come into the residence to assault him, the criminal complaint says.
Furthermore, according to the complaint, Alirez told police he “knew that there were other children being molested and he needed to save them.”
Alirez told officers he had purchased a .45 Hi-Point pistol last week that he intended to use to kill his nieces and nephews.
Alirez told police he initially intended to knock out his girlfriend before assaulting her grandfather, the complaint says.
Alirez was brought before a judge at 1:30 p.m. Monday. According to court files, he will have a hearing Friday to determine the possible conditions of his release, followed by a preliminary examination Nov. 24.
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