- 1 day ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:10After an elderly woman fails to heed an officer's ominous warning about her son, Albuquerque police
00:17fear the worst when her face appears on missing persons posters, but nothing could prepare them
00:23for the twisted story behind her disappearance or the horrifying discovery waiting for them.
00:31The following is based on official police records to date and some of the footage has never been seen
00:37before until now. Please note that all persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent unless
00:42and until proven guilty in a court of law. In Albuquerque, New Mexico on October 28th, 2025,
00:48a care worker contacts police for a welfare check after receiving an unusual call from the son of one
00:54of her elderly clients. Over a week earlier, the same woman, 69-year-old Ernestina Lucero,
01:00had been reported missing by her niece. Officers arrive at the home Ernestina shares with her son,
01:06but despite knocking several times, they get no answer. They instead turn to the neighbors,
01:12who share their own concerns. He was saying a bunch of things about her leaving New Mexico with her
01:17boyfriend and that they were on a speaking basis right now. And then a couple of days later,
01:23he came in Knox and he's like, hey, by any chance, do you want to buy my car? I'm trying
01:29to make money
01:29for rent. According to the neighbor, the dark gray Chevy Camaro belonged to Ernestina and was not his
01:43to sell. They were fighting before she left. They were fighting before she left. I know there was a
01:51couple of nights where they were going at it. I have a two-year-old and I've asked them to,
01:55you know,
01:56just take it down a little bit. And he's, he's starting to fight him because we've asked him
02:02to take it down. He's like, yeah, I'm homie. He said he's done. He's going to say she went to
02:07Mexico, but she could barely walk. They add that her son, identified as 49-year-old Leroy Vallejos,
02:13should be home. They try knocking several more times, but he doesn't answer.
02:21Leroy, you need to come out, man. We're not going to go away. Come on, man.
02:27Yeah, come on.
02:31He's coming to the front door open up. Sorry, man. I thought you were someone else.
02:35Do you mind if I step in and talk to you real quick? Yeah, yeah, no problem.
02:38Can I step in and talk to you? Oh, yeah, yeah. Come in and have a seat.
02:41Dogs friendly? Yeah, they bite. I mean, they bark. They don't bite, man.
02:44Okay. Yeah, can I shut the door so they don't run out?
02:47My partner's coming in too. Oh, okay. It's been a rough two weeks, man. Sorry about that.
02:51I've been... What's been going on?
02:53I don't know. My mom's missing, man, with college, work. I've been overstressed, tired,
02:58you know what I mean? Right through 36 to 35. Just trying to get some rest, man.
03:03Okay. Exhausted from worrying, you know what I mean?
03:05I'm here with you.
03:07How long is it? How long is it?
03:09It's about 15 or something. 15?
03:13Leroy allows the officer to go into Ernestina's bedroom in order to search for any clues that
03:18may help them locate her. There, the officer finds a dresser and closet full of her clothing,
03:23as well as medications prescribed to Ernestina, items she likely would have taken with her.
03:29Meanwhile, his partner continues speaking with Leroy in the living room.
03:33So we've gotten calls
03:36I have an appointment with a detective tomorrow too
03:38Which detective?
03:40Spinks
03:41Stephanie Spinks
03:42Yeah, I'm going to talk to her
03:43I'm trying to help too, man
03:45Okay, I'm going to tell you
03:46Like my mom had something
03:48She was trying to get at me or something
03:51But I never came at her the same way
03:53What do you mean she's been trying to get at you?
03:55Like dudes at harassment and stuff
03:58But I never went at her like that
04:00You know what I mean?
04:01But this is far from the truth
04:03Two years earlier, in November of 2023
04:06Ernestina contacted police
04:08After an incident with her son
04:09Allegedly escalated to violence
04:12So what happened to me?
04:14I don't know
04:15He says, you're killing my dog
04:18I'm not, I'm not, I'm not
04:20I'm a bitch
04:20See, he's a mess right now
04:22So did he get, did he get physical or anything?
04:26Yeah, but he didn't, you know
04:28Really hurt me
04:36He said he was going to choke you?
04:38Well, he put his hand there
04:39And I pushed him off
04:40So if he really wanted to hurt me
04:41Kill me
04:42He would have done it, you know
04:43The officer advised Ernestina
04:45That the best course of action
04:47Was to issue a summons
04:48And take Leroy to court on battery charges
04:50But she was against the idea
04:52I just want him to get medical help
04:54I need to be in a mental hospital
04:56You don't want to hurt charges?
04:58No, I want him to
04:59I can get his help
05:00So he can't get it
05:01At this point
05:02With the way he's been behaving
05:04The last few days
05:04It's just getting worse
05:06To the point where
05:07If you keep letting him in
05:09He's going to hurt you
05:12I want him to get help
05:13I really do
05:14Because he needs to bat me
05:17Because he's already, you know
05:19Twice attacked me
05:20And then
05:23Like I said
05:24If he wanted to kill me
05:25He wouldn't kill me
05:25But that's what I'm afraid of
05:28Now, two years later
05:31Ernestina has vanished
05:33This has been going on for years
05:34You know what I mean?
05:35I've never once
05:36Raised a hand to her
05:38You know, this last time
05:40I just told her
05:40You know
05:41I'm just tired of your lives
05:42I don't believe you, man
05:43I don't even think we should be around each other
05:45It disgusts me
05:46Because we used to be close
05:48Okay
05:48So, yeah, like I said
05:50I got an appointment with a detective tomorrow
05:52Okay
05:53And I'm trying to help, man
05:54I don't know how
05:56They just paid me
05:57I would be the bad guy
05:58Because I
05:58Unfortunately
05:59We live together
06:01You know, she's a grown woman
06:03She's seen some dude, Jose
06:05I don't get in her business, dude
06:07You know
06:07Okay
06:07And how long was she
06:09Seeing Jose, her angel, for?
06:12Uh, I'm not sure
06:15Years, man
06:16They were together for a while, dude
06:18When did they recently break up?
06:21Uh, no
06:21They broke up a while ago
06:23It was, uh
06:25Two, three years ago
06:27If Ernestina and her boyfriend
06:28Broke up several years ago
06:30Leroy's claim
06:31That the pair went to Mexico together
06:33Is that much harder to believe
06:35Little do they know
06:36Leroy is harboring more
06:38Than one dark secret
06:39And one of them is about to come to light
06:42After leaving Ernestina's bedroom
06:44The officer heads toward the kitchen
06:46You can move that
06:47I got that there for the dark
06:48They peed by the bridge
06:50And, uh
06:50There's, like, rats living at the bottom
06:53I want that pee
06:54You know what I mean?
06:54Oh, yeah
06:55They're actually
06:55Yeah, in there
06:56And mixing with the rats
06:58And, uh
06:59Causing a mess, man
07:01Causing a mess
07:04They cut the
07:05The officer digs through the clutter
07:09Pushing food aside
07:10Until he sees black trash bags
07:12At the bottom
07:12As he begins lifting them
07:14A horrifying realization
07:16Sets in
07:18What do you mean
07:19On the first week, please?
07:21Uh, week after
07:2215 to 17
07:27What's up, Boston?
07:31Let's step outside
07:32Go and put your hands by your back
07:34All right
07:35She's in the freezer
07:42I know
07:42Hey, dude
07:43I know
07:44I'm ready for the lawyer, man
07:45Be quiet
07:46Sure
07:47I know
07:47I'm ready for the lawyer
07:48Sir, it's a supervisor
07:50Since the dogs
07:51Can't be allowed to roam
07:52What is now a crime scene
07:54They let them stay
07:55In the back of the cruiser
07:56With Leroy
07:57Sorry, guys
07:58I'm going to take that away
08:00For the rest of my life, buddy
08:01I'm sorry, guys, okay?
08:03I'm sorry, guys
08:04A sergeant soon arrives
08:06And is quickly brought up to speed
08:07The officer then checks
08:09On his colleague
08:11You all right?
08:12Yeah
08:13I'll freak the hell out at first
08:15Yeah
08:16But, yeah, I'm good
08:16Okay
08:17Yeah
08:18You sure?
08:18Yeah
08:19See each other
08:20I was, yeah
08:21I was not expecting
08:23I wouldn't have expected that either
08:25I mean, I felt
08:27I didn't even believe my eyes
08:29I felt I was 31
08:30Right off the bat, but
08:31Yeah
08:33Let's wait for the CS
08:34Okay
08:34Because I don't want to be
08:36I want them here
08:36To help me with the determination
08:37And then I'll get my eyes on it
08:39Because I'm going to
08:41She's like
08:42Wrapped in a black trash bag
08:44But, yeah
08:44It's clearly the outline of a body
08:46I don't want you guys
08:47I don't really turn myself in
08:49Probably the first couple days
08:52Guaranteed
08:53She wouldn't miss a minute
08:54She wouldn't stop
08:55I feel a shame
08:57I tried everything
09:01Pleasing, begging
09:04Praying
09:09Nothing
09:11Leroy waits for nearly four hours
09:13While the crime scene is processed
09:15Finally, Animal Control arrives
09:17To take custody of his two dogs
09:19And informs him
09:20They'll be placed on a 14-day hold
09:28Leroy is brought into an interrogation room
09:31Where he will soon share a chilling story
09:33Full of unexpected twists
09:35Before they begin
09:36The detective asks him
09:37If there's anyone
09:38Who can collect his two dogs
09:39From the animal shelter
09:41I'm telling you, man
09:42I'm nobody
09:43I know that a lot of your
09:47You feel like a lot of your family members
09:49Are kind of mixed up in all this
09:50Is there anybody
09:51I'm mixed up in that
09:52A lot of people are
09:54You'd be surprised
09:54Is there anybody that you trust?
09:56I'm not
09:57I don't know
09:57You guys live
09:58But all that home
09:58Where we live in
10:00A lot of them
10:02We could swing that way
10:03You know what I mean?
10:05A lot of witches
10:07Ain't anything corrupt
10:10In an attempt to understand more
10:11About Leroy's mental state
10:13Investigators speak with his brother
10:15And sister-in-law
10:16His brother explains
10:17That Leroy suffers from delusions
10:19That may be connected
10:21To illicit substance abuse
10:22He was pretty normal
10:24Like when he was not anything
10:25Like he kind of stuck to himself
10:27A little bit
10:27But he would kind of have conversations
10:28With us normally, you know
10:31And then when he was
10:33The reason I'm assuming
10:35It was meant that he was on
10:36Or maybe he was coming off of it
10:37Whatever
10:38He was a lot different person
10:40Ernestina brought up
10:41Similar concerns
10:42During the incident with Leroy
10:44That occurred two years
10:45Before her death
10:46I thought he was going to be
10:47Like he usually is in the morning
10:49He's going to be nice
10:50And everything
10:51But then he started getting
10:53She asked Kayla
10:54The dog
10:54I'm not killing the dog
10:56I'm not a witch
10:57Well I know we were out here
10:59Yesterday as well
11:00Yeah
11:00Because it's still kind of
11:01The same thing
11:02Yesterday
11:02He's freaking out a little bit
11:04So maybe
11:06Like Beth related you think
11:07You know he was telling me
11:09That she was hanging out
11:10With some bad people
11:11And that
11:13Our mom had promised
11:15Our souls to the devil
11:17Like mine and his
11:18You know
11:19And
11:20That
11:21I mean he went into the hole
11:23When he was
11:26Married to his ex-wife
11:28He saw a demon
11:29Having sex with her
11:30He said that
11:31Angel my mom
11:33And my grandmother
11:34Had a devil baby
11:36Or demon baby
11:37In the house
11:38That they saw
11:40That he saw
11:41That they were going to
11:42Sacrifice or something
11:43You know
11:43I'm sure they're all
11:44From the same covenant
11:45Dude
11:46Okay
11:46That's real man
11:48I know how it sounds
11:49But all those
11:50Are witches bro
11:51You know it's funny
11:53How they all start
11:54Calling on the lord
11:55You know what I mean
11:56They all do the same
11:58They start calling on the lord
12:00Wanting justice
12:04And all them
12:05Evil
12:05Just like that
12:07You've heard
12:07Sign of trouble
12:08You know
12:09First comes the call
12:10The cops
12:10You know what I mean
12:12Get down
12:13And start praying to god
12:14You do it
12:15Oh you're a rat
12:16You know what I mean
12:17But they're the first
12:18To start doing it
12:20Leroy's brother
12:21Believes there could be
12:21Another reason
12:22For his delusions
12:23Recalling a tragic incident
12:25He supposedly suffered
12:26Years ago
12:26While hitchhiking
12:27In Roswell
12:28New Mexico
12:29So he got in the car
12:30With him to get a ride
12:31And I guess
12:31What had happened
12:32Is they took him to
12:33Like a house
12:35Somewhere
12:36And I guess
12:37A bunch of guys
12:37Beat him up right
12:38And then they cut him
12:39That's why he's got that scar
12:41So they just took a knife
12:42And cut him
12:42They ran over him
12:43With a Ford Bronco
12:44So he had
12:46Shattered hips
12:47And his lungs were collapsed
12:48And they left him
12:49In the field to die
12:51And then somebody
12:52That was either
12:53In the area
12:54Or saw what was going on
12:56Had a bit of a conscious
12:57Whatever
12:58Called 911
12:59You know
12:59And said there's a guy
13:01In the field basically
13:01So
13:03They took him
13:03And had to fly him
13:04To Lubbock
13:05And he was there
13:05For a while
13:06But like I said
13:06It was like
13:07You know
13:08Like a football
13:08And he was so beat up
13:09No kidding
13:10That's a bad
13:11Like
13:11Brain injury
13:13Yeah
13:13That would be my guess
13:14That's why I think
13:14Started to intensify
13:17All this stuff
13:17You know
13:18Got you
13:18Got you
13:19You see the people
13:20Killing the people
13:21Their parents for
13:23Crazy
13:23Bro
13:25Mine's just trying to kill me
13:26Every day of my life
13:27Dude
13:28According to police records
13:29Leroy believed his mother
13:31Working in concert
13:32With other conspirators
13:33Had spent the last 17 years
13:35Waging a campaign
13:36Of intimidation
13:37And harassment
13:38Against him
13:39Though it wasn't
13:40Captured on camera
13:41According to police records
13:42Leroy admitted
13:43That before he attempted
13:44To dismember his mother
13:45He first strangled her
13:47During that
13:48I was just like
13:48Why can't you
13:49Just leave me the
13:49F**k alone
13:50Man
13:51What did I ever do
13:52To you
13:53Man
13:53I love you
13:54Do everything
13:54I could
13:55For you
13:55I don't know
13:56I said some
13:56F**k too
13:57But
13:57I got nothing to hide
13:59From you guys
13:59Or anybody
14:00You know
14:00What I mean
14:00I'm a man
14:01Dude
14:02I can admit
14:03To whatever I knew
14:04But what he'll soon
14:05Admit goes far
14:06Beyond what
14:07Investigators
14:08Could have ever
14:08Imagined
14:09After you killed
14:10Your mother
14:11Did you
14:12You said you waited
14:13A couple days
14:13Before trying to
14:14Cut her up
14:14Yeah
14:15To let the blood
14:16Thicken
14:17Yeah
14:18That's what I heard
14:19But I really
14:19Want to do
14:20Where was she
14:21When you did that
14:22Like where'd you
14:23Leave her
14:24I put her in the
14:25Freezer
14:25Okay
14:25You left her
14:26In the freezer
14:26I told you
14:27I put her in there
14:28And I left her there
14:29She had to
14:29F**k on top
14:30And never looked
14:31At her again
14:32Until you tried
14:33It's still bugging me
14:34You know
14:34It's still bugging me
14:36I don't even
14:36Want to see her
14:37You know
14:39I love her
14:40I don't care
14:40What nobody says
14:41I always love her
14:42According to police records
14:44The care worker
14:45Who requested
14:45The welfare check
14:46On Ernestina
14:47Had become concerned
14:48When Leroy
14:49Contacted them
14:50Asking to receive
14:51Pay for her care
14:52One thing we found
14:53I don't know
14:53If this isn't related
14:54But that we didn't know about
14:55I guess
14:56We found a medical paperwork
14:57In her apartment
14:59In 2019
15:01As stated
15:01That she was like
15:04Progressive dementia
15:05Oh okay
15:06And that she could
15:08I guess the letter was
15:09So that she could
15:10She could get into
15:11Assistant living
15:12We didn't know
15:13Her to have dementia
15:13You know what I mean
15:14So it's like
15:14Probably why my brother
15:15Was getting paid
15:16By the state
15:16To take care of her
15:18After he called
15:18To request the money
15:19He was transferred
15:20To Ernestina's case manager
15:22It was then
15:23That Leroy disclosed
15:24That she was missing
15:25I did tell him
15:26It's disturbing
15:27How you're pushing
15:28On your pay
15:28When your mom's sick
15:30Sick and then
15:31He was like
15:31When her mom's missing
15:32Right
15:32I mean
15:32I'm missing
15:33And then he was like
15:34Well am I going to
15:35Get paid or not
15:36And I said
15:36No
15:36So then the call dropped
15:39Leroy's brother
15:40Also shared his mother's
15:41Banking information
15:42With detectives
15:43Revealing that Leroy
15:44Continued to access
15:45And use her bank cards
15:47A nightmare stopped
15:49I said nightmares
15:51Every night
15:51They stopped at least
15:54But still
15:55It wasn't worth the day
15:56When did the nightmare stop?
15:59I don't know
16:00I guess when I killed her
16:02They stopped instantly
16:05I finally slept
16:06I haven't slept
16:07For over 30 minutes
16:08In 17 years
16:09I kept giving up
16:13It's a trip
16:14I don't know man
16:15It's a witchcraft
16:16That she had a witchcraft
16:18On me
16:18I don't know if she did
16:20It's not something
16:21You can prove
16:21You know what I mean?
16:22During the investigation
16:24Detectives identified
16:25Ernestina's ex-boyfriend
16:27The man Leroy had earlier
16:28Claimed went with her
16:29To Mexico
16:30As Jose Angel Frias
16:32But as they dug deeper
16:33A disturbing pattern
16:35Began to emerge
16:36Jose had also vanished
16:38With a Spanish speaking officer
16:40Assisting as a translator
16:41An investigator was able
16:43To reach Jose's brother
16:44By phone
16:45So he says that
16:46He's been looking for him
16:47For three years
16:48He knows that
16:49Yeah
16:49He worked at
16:50A Hilton hotel
16:51Here in Albuquerque
16:52That's about all he knows
16:54Okay
16:55You want to tell him
16:55That we're also looking
16:56For his brother?
16:57No
16:58But tell him
16:58We'll start looking into it
16:59Leroy's brother
17:00Claims he only met
17:01Jose a couple of times
17:03And he has no idea
17:04Where he is now
17:05As far as he knows
17:07Jose left
17:08Ernestina
17:08I don't think he got along
17:11With my brother
17:12Too much
17:12Like sometimes
17:13Like he just
17:14You know
17:14Their personalities
17:15And I think like
17:16With my brother
17:17With his paranoia
17:18You know
17:18He probably thought
17:19That Angel wanted
17:20To kill him too
17:20Probably
17:21I don't know
17:23So maybe they didn't
17:24Get along so well
17:25That's probably part of
17:25The reason that
17:26That Angel guy
17:26Like left
17:27But as Leroy's
17:28Interrogation continues
17:29He makes a damning
17:31Admission regarding
17:32The missing man
17:33And the last time
17:34He ever saw him
17:35When he was in bed
17:36He was just
17:37Was he asleep?
17:38I don't know
17:39He was
17:40I shot him
17:41The first time
17:41He woke up
17:42Where did you shoot him?
17:44I never shot
17:45No one before
17:46Like that
17:46So I got a pill
17:47When I pulled it
17:48To the gun
17:49I didn't know
17:50A pill to slip on
17:51And when I shot it
17:53When he broke
17:53It got stuck
17:56The f***
17:57He was screaming
17:57That was the worst
17:59Scream I've ever heard
18:00In my life
18:00That a man made
18:02That was an awful
18:03But I thought for sure
18:05I'd never kill no one
18:06After that
18:07Then what happened?
18:10I didn't know
18:10What to do
18:11I had to pull the pillow off
18:13Then I had to
18:13Recox again
18:15And then I shot him again
18:16Boom
18:17Where did you shoot him
18:18That time?
18:19I thought I shot him
18:20In the head twice
18:22I don't know
18:22But one didn't hit him
18:23In the head
18:24Like I said
18:25It was a big old pillow
18:26He was laying down
18:27What happened after
18:28The second time
18:29You shot him?
18:31He shot him
18:32I stopped making
18:32That noise
18:33And he was dead then?
18:35Yeah
18:39I don't know
18:40I don't know
18:41I felt really bad
18:42About that
18:42When I did that
18:44I just had nightmares
18:45About that
18:46Leroy claims
18:47That his mother
18:48Was in the living room
18:49At the time
18:49And must have heard
18:50The gunshots
18:51Coming from the bedroom
18:53She came in
18:54About the second time
18:55I shot him
18:56She goes
18:56What did you do?
18:58And I turned around
18:59And I pointed a gun
19:00At her
19:01And I
19:02I was like
19:03It should be you too
19:03Hey
19:06I was like
19:07Call the cops
19:07I threw a gun down
19:08I said
19:08Call the cops
19:09Hey
19:10She's like
19:11I can't have you in prison
19:12I need you
19:13And then what happened?
19:16My life went on
19:17You cut him off?
19:20She took me a load
19:22And bought a saw
19:23It was going to be a chainsaw
19:25Because I never cut nobody off
19:28But
19:29I remember
19:32I did some work
19:32For a
19:34A company
19:35For a couple years
19:36And I didn't cut through
19:38Everything
19:39According to police records
19:41A search warrant
19:41Was executed
19:42On Leroy's apartment
19:43In which they located
19:44A reciprocating saw
19:46With what appeared
19:46To be dried bloodstains
19:48On the blade
19:48It was found
19:50Under the kitchen sink
19:51Did you use
19:52The same sawzall?
19:53No
19:54I threw that away
19:55You threw that one away?
19:57But after we used it
19:59My mom likes to keep everything
20:00She wanted to keep it
20:03Did you put Jose
20:04In the freezer at all?
20:06Yeah
20:07I put my freezer too
20:08Right away
20:10I can't remember
20:11How quick we did it
20:13She held me
20:16I don't know why
20:17I told her to call the cops
20:18See
20:19She wanted to hide the body
20:22That's probably why
20:23I sold my soul to Satan
20:24You know what I mean?
20:25Who knows?
20:26How long did it?
20:27How long did it?
20:28God wouldn't talk to me
20:29And who was the one that
20:31Who was cutting you?
20:32We both did
20:33Both of you?
20:34I did most of it though
20:36Cause I told me to
20:38You know I'll do whatever
20:39She tells me to
20:42I didn't ask her about
20:43Killing him
20:44Cause she wouldn't let me
20:46But I was gonna kill her
20:47That way too
20:48But I couldn't
20:53I couldn't bring myself
20:54To do it
20:55So I figured maybe
20:56She's trying to take me out
20:57Cause I know
20:58She thinks I'm gonna say something
20:59But she knows I wasn't
21:01You know
21:01I don't know man
21:02It started getting like
21:05Like way worse man
21:08I wish I could bring her back
21:11All the bad
21:12She's done to me
21:16I was waiting to bring her back
21:18I didn't even trade
21:18Policies with her
21:20According to court records
21:2149 year old
21:22Leroy Vallejos
21:23Was indicted on
21:24An open count of murder
21:26As well as tampering
21:27With evidence
21:28And abuse of a resident
21:29Resulting in death
21:31He entered a plea
21:32Of not guilty
21:33After an evaluation
21:34Leroy was determined
21:35To be incompetent
21:36To stand trial
21:37And was committed
21:38To the New Mexico
21:39Behavioral Health Institute
21:40For treatment
21:41Aimed at restoring competency
21:43Jose Angel Frias
21:45Remains listed
21:46As a missing person
21:47On the New Mexico
21:48Department of Public Safety
21:49Website
21:50As of now
21:51Leroy's statements
21:52Regarding his
21:53And Ernestina's role
21:54In Jose's disappearance
21:55Remain unsubstantiated
Comments