Convicted ax murderer back in jail

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (KRQE) - A convicted ax murderer spent nearly two decades in prison, and has been in and out since his release. Police say he just won't stay away from where it all happened and repeatedly violates restraining orders.

This week, he was back in court for doing it again.

Albert Lueras spent 19 years in prison for killing his mother and 6-year-old nephew with an ax in 1989. Since then, he's been arrested three times for returning to his family's home where the murders happened.

He's repeatedly violated a restraining order his sister, Juliana Quezada, filed to keep him away.

"We've dealt with him at least six times since 2008.  He seems to have disappeared for about two years, and then he resurfaced in 2010 and we've dealt with him five different times since then," explained Lt. Tracy Corbett, of Alamogordo Department of Public Safety.

Quezada lived in the house the murders took place in until recently when she moved to the house next door. In late February, Lueras was arrested for showing up at her new home.

According to court documents, a neighbor called Lueras' sister saying she had seen Lueras and a woman she didn't recognize knocking on Quezada's door. Quezada called police and said she was very afraid.

He was arrested and charged with aggravated stalking and violating a restraining order.

"I think he doesn't want to do anything to her, maybe he feels remorse because she is his sister, and what he did is a heavy thing," said neighbor, Martha Valdez.

Quezada was not home Thursday when KRQE News 13 stopped by, but we talked to her in 2008 shortly after Lueras showed up for the first time.

"There is no family here," Quezada said at the time.  "If he thinks he has family here, he doesn't have anybody, and he should have shame for what he did and to go somewhere else."

Lueras has since roamed the streets of Alamogordo where he's been in and out of jail.

"I think the problem for this defendant is that he continues to be homeless, he has no where to go and he has, obviously several issues to deal with, but he's not bonded out and he remains incarcerated right now," said David Ceballes, chief deputy district attorney for Otero County.

Ceballes pointed out that Lueras served the maximum sentence, 19 years, that was available at the time for the crimes he was convicted of in 1989.

"I don't think he'll win anything by being in jail but, he should just leave her alone," Valdez said.  "They need to leave her in peace."

Ceballes said the maximum sentence Lueras faces for the new charges is 3 1/2 years behind bars.