A New Mexico man has been arrested after allegedly shooting his mother during a late-night argument at their Santa Teresa home early Tuesday morning. The Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Kevin Marin was taken into custody following the shooting, which occurred around 3 a.m. on Ashwood Drive, near Santa Teresa Elementary School.
According to court documents, Marin’s brother told police that the 36-year-old suspect began yelling and acting erratically late Monday night. The brother said he told Marin to calm down and go to sleep, but the behavior continued. Their mother also reportedly told Marin to go to bed because “he was acting crazy.”
The brother said their mother then led Marin to his bedroom and stayed with him in an effort to calm him down. A few hours later, around 3 a.m., the brother heard several gunshots coming from that direction. When he went to check, he found his mother bleeding heavily in the hallway, according to El Paso-based Fox.
Emergency responders were called to the home, and the woman was transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition. According to investigators, medical personnel discovered 11 gunshot wounds on her body. Police at the scene found multiple shell casings from a semi-automatic rifle or carbine, consistent with the type of weapon believed to have been used in the attack.
Marin was arrested shortly after the incident and booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center. He faces charges of aggravated battery against a household member with a deadly weapon and attempted murder. Authorities have not released the name of the victim, who remains hospitalized.
Investigators have also not indicated what may have triggered the violent outburst, though family members told police that Marin had been behaving erratically before the shooting. The quiet Santa Teresa neighborhood, located just north of the Texas border, was shaken by the early morning violence, according to KTSM.
Neighbors said they were startled awake by gunfire and sirens but had no idea what had happened until police arrived. The investigation remains ongoing, and officials have not yet confirmed whether Marin will face additional charges. For now, he remains in custody as his mother continues to fight for her life.