Meadow Lake, NM: Man charged in wife's death called 911

Detectives said couple's kids were home

Updated: Friday, 27 May 2011, 12:38 PM MDT
Published : Thursday, 26 May 2011, 5:21 PM MDT

Reporter: Crystal Gutierrez
MEADOW LAKE, N.M. (KRQE) - Detectives said a man shot his wife in the head and then called 911 while his two children were inside the home. He is now facing murder and child abuse charges.

Valencia County Deputies arrested Brandon Casias, 19, early Thursday morning. Sheriff Louis Burkhard said Casias called 911 and told dispatchers he had just shot his wife.

When deputies arrived at the home in Meado Lake they discovered Amber Casias, 20, mortally wounded in the living room.

“They found Amber Casias with a gunshot wound to the head,” Burkhard said.

Burkhard said the young mother was pronounced dead a short time later.

Deputies said the couples’ two sons, a 1-year-old and 2-year-old, were inside the home during the shooting.

Investigators believe one of them was in the room where his mother was shot.

Detectives will not say how many times the victim was shot, but one neighbor said she heard more than one gunshot overnight.

“I was talking to my boyfriend on the phone, and I heard a shot and maybe two or three minutes later there was another shot,” the neighbor said. “That’s very heartbreakig because they lost their mother.”

The children are now in state custody.