RIO RANCHO, N.M. – It’s been six months since a Rio Rancho teen was killed. Adrian Maestas went to Rio Rancho High School and played on the football team. 

“Adrian was supportive, he was loving, he was kind, he was generous,” said Darci Romero, Adrian’s mother.

His family honored him Sunday with a vigil.

“I think Adrian is always going to live on through his siblings, little brothers, little sisters, big brothers, big sisters,” said Stephanie Maestas, Adrian’s stepmother.

Maestas died on Nov. 1, 2024, investigators said a group of people met up to smooth things over after an ongoing dispute. According to Rio Rancho police, that interaction somehow led to the deadly shooting.

“Six months down the line, it is frustrating for us. We want an arrest, we want something to happen for Adrian. Not only that, we need to get these guys off the streets,” said Romero and Maestas.

We reached out to Rio Rancho Police for an update on the case and got the following statement:

“The Rio Rancho Police Department is actively working leads and examining multiple forms of evidence in the ongoing investigation into the murder of Adrian Maestas. Our detectives are diligently pursuing every avenue to ensure a thorough and complete investigation.

We understand the impact this case has had on the community and remain committed to bringing justice to the Maestas family and his loved ones.

Upon completion of the investigation, the case will be forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office for review and appropriate prosecutorial action.”

“I don’t know where we would be honestly without that support system. Exactly that is what’s helping us,” said Adrian’s mother and stepmother.

His family held a vigil on Mother’s Day to mark six months without him. They say, it’s the community that gives them strength to keep going.

“The vigil that we had last night was so beautiful, and on Mother’s Day. On a day that he made special for me every single year. I could see his love and last night everyone that showed up here gave me that same feeling,” said Romero.

However, they worry gun violence is becoming more prevalent in Rio Rancho. They hope an arrest is made soon before anything else bad happens.

“There’s a good part of Rio Rancho, there really is, and that community was here last night. But there is a dark side also. That dark side eventually is going to take over this city if no one does anything about it,” said Adrian’s mother.