Mother Sentenced for Driving Teens to Deadly Shooting Over Stalking Allegation

Raeanna Ruiz, 35, entered a guilty plea to charges of second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and aggravated battery in connection with the October 2023 killing of Santiago Roybal. The sentencing, handed down on Thursday, followed a disturbing sequence of events that authorities say began with a stalking suspicion and ended with deadly violence.

According to a press release from the Albuquerque Police Department and court documents reviewed by multiple outlets, Ruiz drove her 15-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter to an apartment complex in Albuquerque on October 18, 2023, in a white SUV later identified through surveillance footage. Once there, her children allegedly chased Roybal—whom the daughter believed had been stalking her—and fatally shot him.

Surveillance video from the complex reportedly showed Roybal attempting to flee from the vehicle before being pursued by the teens. The footage captured Ruiz’s daughter, Dylana Barela, armed with a firearm, and her son, Christopher Barela, carrying a baseball bat.

As Roybal ran for safety, a friend of his—who lived in the apartment complex—opened the door to let him inside. However, gunfire erupted as the door closed, and the friend was struck in the process. A female voice, believed to be Dylana’s, was reportedly heard on video shouting, “Shoot through the door,” as the gunfire continued. Roybal was struck and killed by one of the bullets and was pronounced dead at the scene.

After the attack, surveillance footage captured a male and female fleeing from the scene. Police were able to trace the white SUV used in the incident through distinct vehicle features, including its rims, taillights, grille, a black dealership logo, and a University of New Mexico plate.

In a subsequent interview with investigators, Dylana Barela told police that she had suspected a man of stalking her for several months and claimed he had been looking into her bedroom window.

On the day of the shooting, she allegedly saw a man in the backyard and alerted her mother. Ruiz then drove her and her brother to confront the individual, with Dylana bringing a gun and Christopher arming himself with a baseball bat.

Dylana later admitted to authorities that the plan was not to kill Roybal, but rather to intimidate or assault him. “It was not supposed to happen this way,” she reportedly told police, saying they intended only to “beat this guy and maybe pistol whip him a few times.”

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Further investigation revealed that Ruiz had discussed the incident on Facebook prior to the shooting, telling a friend that someone had been “stealing” from her backyard.

The friend allegedly encouraged her to retaliate, responding, “Go get them gangster.” After the shooting, Ruiz reportedly attempted to conceal her vehicle by parking it at the friend’s house and covering it with a tarp.

In addition to Ruiz’s sentencing, both Dylana and Christopher Barela face charges of open murder. They are currently being held at the Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center as they await further legal proceedings.