New Mexico man accused of killing wife in front of children
RIO RANCHO, N.M. — Parts of the Sandoval Regional Medical Center in Rio Rancho were under lockdown for hours Wednesday evening after a woman was dropped off with a gunshot wound to the head.
Police have revealed that the woman was shot and killed by her husband in their car – in front of their three kids. This stemmed from a different incident in Rio Rancho involving the woman’s 15-year-old son.
According to court documents, the teenage boy illegally drove one of the family’s vehicles to Rio Rancho last week and was caught by police. The family was reportedly driving back to Rio Rancho Wednesday to retrieve that vehicle when the boy got into an argument with his step-dad, Pablo Padilla, and things turned violent.
Documents say the boy’s mom, Desirae Lussow, started hitting Padilla to defend her son. Police say Padilla pulled over, grabbed an AR-15 next to the driver’s seat, and allegedly shot Lussow in the back of the head.
Police say Padilla then drove the family to the Sandoval Regional Medical Center while the teenage boy tried to help his mom.
Rio Rancho police said she was taken to UNM Hospital in downtown Albuquerque where she died from her injuries.
Court documents reveal the couple’s 3-year-old child and 15-month-old child were in the car the entire time.
“This isn’t the first case we’ve had where parents, or kids have had to witness the killing of their parent,” District Attorney Barbara Romo said. “It’s devastating, it’s devastating for the kids, you know, they’ll never be the same.”
Police said Padilla had a bag of meth on him during the incident.
Padilla is now facing an open count of murder, along with reckless driving and drug charges.
Romo said her office is still waiting for Rio Rancho police to finish their investigation, but assured the district attorney’s office will be pushing to keep Padilla locked up ahead of trial.
Court records show Padilla was already facing drug charges after police reportedly found him driving with meth last summer. He was scheduled to go on trial this June.
Padilla was also charged with child abuse in 2021 after he reportedly abducted the couple’s now 3-year-old child during a fight. However, that case out of Rio Rancho was dismissed because the officer didn’t show up to court.
Padilla is expected to make his first court appearance for the deadly shooting Friday morning.
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