Tijeras man accused of shooting to death three family members

Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen was looking for answers the day after learning a Tijeras man allegedly shot to death his parents, younger sister and dog with his mother’s handgun.

“There’s a lot to unpack,” Allen said at Monday morning’s press conference.

Adlai Mestre, 24, of Tijeras is charged with three counts of open murder, five counts of tampering with evidence, extreme cruelty to animals, escape or attempt to escape from the custody of a peace officer and criminal damage to property over $1,000.

Mestre is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center. It is unclear who his attorney is.

According to a criminal complaint filed at Metropolitan Court, deputies said as Mestre was being detained, he said “something to the effect of, ‘I killed them and was going to bury them.’”

Allen said he is unsure what allegedly caused Mestre to shoot his family or how long they had been dead.

“It’s still very early,” he said.

Allen said the homicide reminds him of the case of Nehemiah Griego, who as a 15-year-old in 2013 killed his parents and three younger siblings in the South Valley. In 2019, he received a life sentence.

At 2:14 p.m. Sunday, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office deputies received a call of a shooting on Young Road in Tijeras.

According to the complaint, a neighbor told them after he heard shots, he went to his neighbor’s house and honked his horn, but did not get a response. Deputies arrived less than an hour later, Allen said, and contacted a man — later identified as Mestre — who had a handgun “along with a second magazine loaded with ammunition.”

While being detained, deputies said Mestre told them he killed his family “and was going to bury them.”

Deputies said inside the house they found Mestre’s father, Raymundo Mestre, 46; mother, Bertha Mestre, 51; and sister Brielle Mestre, 17, with gunshot wounds in a ravine north and east of the home. Allen said the firearm belonged to the mother.

Deputies said Adlai Mestre later told them he killed his father in the living room and his mother as she came down the stairs, but didn’t know about the sister. Deputies said he dragged their bodies outside and put them in the ravine about 50 yards from the house .

According to the complaint, Adlai said he also killed the family dog because the dog “was ravenous.”

The complaint states that deputies also found blood stains inside the house that were consistent with “drag marks and mopping/cleaning,” along with a knife and meat tenderizer hammer with blood on them. Deputies said Adlai Mestre told them he was trying to mop up before they interrupted him.

The complaint states that while Mestre was in the interview room at the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office facility, he punched, then kicked, a wall and escaped. Detectives chased him down the hall and arrested him.

Allen said Adlai spent time at Haven Behavioral Hospital of Albuquerque about a year ago.

Being notified about his hospitalization would have allowed deputies to follow up on him and to possibly ensure that he would not be dangerous to himself or others, he said.

Allen said people should pay attention to loved ones who are experiencing behavioral health issues, especially those who have firearms in their homes.

“That is a red flag, pun intended,” he said. “We need to start paying attention and doing our part also, not just law enforcement.”