Three teens charged in El Cerro triple homicide

Valencia County Sheriff’s Office deputies took three teenagers into custody early this morning in connection with a triple homicide on East El Cerro Loop.

All three are being charged with three open counts of murder at this time.

Brandon Dowdy, 18, and Robert Wilson 19, both of Belen, will be booked into the Valencia County Detention Center.

Anthony Williams, 17, of Los Lunas, will be booked into the Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center.

At about 1:45 a.m., Saturday, April 20, deputies were dispatched to the 200 block of East El Cerro Loop in regards to gunshots being fired in the area.

Deputies arriving on scene found three deceased males – Darren Bernal, 40 and Nathan Morrison, 28, both of Belen, and Joseph Santiago, 29, of Albuquerque – who had died from multiple apparent gunshot wounds.

Witnesses described hearing multiple gunshots and then seeing a blue SUV fleeing the scene. The vehicle was located a short distance away from the scene law officers, and Dowdy, Wilson and William were detained in connection to the shooting.

Detectives from the VCSO Criminal Investigations Division are on scene along with the New Mexico State Police Crime Scene Unit.

At this time there are no outstanding person(s) of interest that law enforcement is seeking.