Albuquerque Man charged with murdering mother, hiding body in freezer

An Albuquerque, NM, man has been arrested on charges of allegedly murdering and disposing of his mother before placing her remains in a freezer, according to reports.

Court records show 49-year-old Leroy Vallejos was booked into the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Metro Potentent Center on Wednesday. He is charged with first degree murder, battery, battery of a member of the household and tampering with evidence, and is being held under preventive detention.

The Albuquerque Police Department suspect Vallejos admitted in a deposition that he beat his 69-year-old mother, Ernestina Lucero, to death about three weeks ago, Krqe in Albuquerque said.

Police said Vallejos said his mother was part of a ‘group of people who gave their lives in the dark’ who were conspiring.

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Police were reportedly alerted to a welfare check at the Lucero home on Tuesday after Vallejos told the health company his mother had been missing for about a week. It is alleged that he called the company to request payment for his care despite not seeing him.

During the welfare check, Vallejos let the officers in and told them that his mother had gone to Mexico. But when they looked around, police reportedly discovered that Lucero’s orders were in his bedroom.

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General view of areastown albuquerque skyline on February 16, 2024 in Albuquerque, NM (Kirby Lee/Getty Images)

Another officer is accused of finding garbage bags inside a large freezer that were later determined to contain the woman’s remains, the station said.

The discovery led to another search of the home, where officers discovered what appeared to be dried blood stains under the sink.

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Leroy Vallejos, 49, was booked into the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center on Oct. 29, 2025, after being charged with the murder and murder of his 69-year-old mother, according to court records. (Stock)

Before the welfare check, another family member reportedly told police Lucero, prompting the Department to issue a missing person’s report on Oct. 23 and launch an investigation.

The initial investigation found that Vallejos allegedly withdrew money from his mother’s account, and his car was reportedly sold before it was reported missing.

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The Albuquerque Police Department did not respond to FOX News Digital’s request for additional information on the matter.

The investigation remains ongoing.