Mom instructs 16-year-old to shoot man suspected of stalking, NM officials say

A mom was sentenced to prison in connection to the fatal 2023 shooting of a man being accused of stalking her daughter, New Mexico officials said.

In October 2023, Reanna Ruiz saw Santiago Roybal in her yard, according to a June 26 Facebook post by the district attorney’s office.

Ruiz’s 16-year-old daughter told police she thought Roybal was stalking her and looking into her window, according to a November 2023 news release by the Albuquerque Police Department.

After spotting Roybal in the yard, Ruiz and her 14-year-old son, along with her daughter, chased Roybal to his apartment, officials said.

The teen girl was armed with a gun, and Ruiz’s son was carrying a bat, prosecutors said.

The teens chased Roybal up to his apartment before Ruiz ordered her daughter to shoot through Roybal’s door, officials said.

Roybal was fatally shot, and another man inside was injured, officials said.

Further investigation revealed Ruiz told a friend Roybal was stealing something from her backyard before the shooting, police said.

Ruiz pleaded guilty in November to charges of second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, prosecutors said.

She was sentenced to 20 years in prison, officials said.

The 16-year-old is awaiting her trial, officials said.

This story was originally published June 27, 2025 at 3:21 PM with the headline "Mom instructs 16-year-old to shoot man suspected of stalking, NM officials say."