New Mexico Man Accused of Killing 2 Victims Tells Police a Cockroach Told Him to Do It By Becca Longmire

A man in New Mexico is facing murder charges in connection with the death of two victims before telling authorities that a cockroach ordered him to do it.

On Friday, Nov. 7 at approximately 10:27 p.m. local time, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) South Valley Command deputies “responded to reports of gunfire near the 1400 block of Entrada Bonita SW,” per a Facebook post.

The BCSO said, “When deputies arrived, they located two deceased adult males inside the residence with apparent gunshot wounds.” 

“Three additional adults and two young children were also found inside the home. The adults were detained for questioning, and the children were safely removed from the scene,” the post stated, adding that one suspect was in custody.

The suspect has been identified as Alexis Hernandez, per an arrest warrant affidavit obtained by PEOPLE.

According to jail records seen by PEOPLE, Hernandez, 25, was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 8 and is facing two open counts of murder in the first degree charges. 

After officers responded to the shooting on Friday, they were allegedly met by Hernandez at the front door, and he “had a firearm on his waistband and a Marine Corps Sabre on his hip,” the arrest warrant affidavit filed at the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court stated.

Related Stories

18 Shocking College Crimes, from the Idaho Murders to a Dorm Room Beating

Teen Told Police She Was Haunted by a Ghost — Then a Tortured Woman’s Skull Was Found in a Hello Kitty Doll

The suspect reportedly told officers he was in the Marines and “had to do what he had to do,” the warrant noted. He was detained and had allegedly said there were two bodies inside the property.

Hernandez allegedly believed that the owner of the property had been stalking him by placing cameras in the lights, the document stated. He also heard “creepy voices coming from the vents.”

Officers discovered a deceased man “with possible gunshot wounds” in the front of the house after entering the residence, while a second man with apparent stab wounds was found in an attached apartment, the warrant said.

One of the victims was the owner of the property, the report stated, with authorities adding that the suspect had confirmed he knew both of the deceased men.

Hernandez said he’d “been getting signs” to kill the property owner. The document noted that the suspect had “received an encrypted message in a cockroach because [the property owner] did not like cockroaches. This message told Alexis he needed to kill [him],” adding that the suspect had allegedly been “seeing signs all around him that he saw and couldn’t ignore.”

The suspect had previously bought a Glock handgun for “protection,” the warrant stated, adding that he’d been “afraid for his life” when the two men reportedly took him to the back room of the house.

Hernandez then allegedly shot the property owner in the head and the other man in the kitchen, the warrant said. He then allegedly shot the victims again after going back to his Honda Pilot to reload his gun, the document added.

The suspect insisted “he was not going to take” the two children that were in the house, “or do anything to them,” but he did say he knew the juveniles were in the property and that they’d seen him shoot the two victims, per the warrant.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

The BCSO said in their Facebook post, “BCSO Homicide Detectives have taken over the investigation … detectives are continuing to gather evidence and interview witnesses.”

“Additional information, including the identities of those involved, will be released once next of kin notifications are complete and the investigation allows,” the sheriff’s office added.

The Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.