Albuquerque, NM — A 25-year-old man is facing two open counts of murder after allegedly admitting to deputies that he killed two men inside a southwest Albuquerque home — claiming he acted on “an encrypted message in a cockroach” that told him to kill.
According to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, Alexis Hernandez was arrested on Friday night following reports of gunfire at a residence. Deputies discovered two deceased men inside the home, along with two young children who were unharmed but visibly shaken.
The Shocking Confession
When deputies arrived at the property just before 10:30 p.m., Hernandez reportedly greeted them at the front door. He was armed with a handgun on his waistband and a Marine Corps sabre on his hip.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Hernandez identified himself as a Marine and told officers,
“I had to do what I had to do.”
He then allegedly informed them that there were “two dead bodies inside.” Deputies immediately detained him and entered the home, where they found one man with gunshot wounds and another with stab injuries in an adjacent apartment.
Two children present in the home were safely removed from the scene, authorities confirmed.
Disturbing Details in the Arrest Warrant
Once in custody, Hernandez told deputies he knew the two victims — one of whom owned the property. He claimed that the homeowner had been “stalking him” and had installed cameras in the lights.
The suspect described hearing “creepy voices from the vents” and said he had been receiving “signs” instructing him to kill before the property owner could harm him.
Hernandez later claimed that the final message came in the form of an insect.
“He said he received an encrypted message in a cockroach that he needed to kill the property owner,” the affidavit reads.
The bizarre statement, first reported by NBC News, has left investigators and the local community stunned.
How the Attack Unfolded
Hernandez told deputies that on the night of the attack, the two men allegedly took him to the back room of the home, which he interpreted as a threat. He said he feared for his life and used his Glock handgun, previously purchased for “protection,” to shoot one man in the head and the other in the kitchen.
According to the warrant,
“He went to his vehicle to reload his weapon, then returned and shot each victim again.”
After the killings, Hernandez allegedly stayed inside the residence, pacing back and forth before surrendering to deputies. He told officers he was aware the two children had witnessed the attack but insisted,
“I was not going to take the kids or do anything to them.”
Investigation Ongoing
Authorities have not yet released the names of the victims or confirmed the official cause of death for the second man. The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the case.
Hernandez was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on Saturday morning. It remains unclear whether he has obtained legal counsel.
The chilling details of the case — including the suspect’s claim about receiving a deadly “message” from a cockroach — have raised questions about his mental state at the time of the killings.
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