Teen's past eerily similar to new crime

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - One of the teens accused in the brutal murder of an Albuquerque woman has been in the news before when he burned down a family's house because a girl wouldn't go out with him.

Ryan Vigil, 19, was convicted of arson in 2006. He served two years in a juvenile lockup before his release last year.

In June 2006, Vigil burned down Loni Petry's Rio Rancho home. Petry said the incident happened because Vigil had a crush on her daughter, and her daughter didn't return the affection.

"He then came in and torched the house with the dog and cat, and smirked," Petry said.

Vigil now faces adult charges, along with codefendant Chris Midyette, 19.

According to police, Brittni Carlini, 20, went to Vigil's home Thursday night to exchange a snowboard. Then after an argument, Vigil said Midyette struck her two or three times with a baseball bat.

The police report quotes Vigil as saying that he and Midyette took her body to a rural part of Rio Rancho, dug a shallow grave, burned the body and buried it.

At the suspects' first court appearance, Carlini's grandfather struggled to describe his feelings

"I just don't know quite why this happened. I just don't understand it," Howard Carlson said.

Petry said the gruesome incident takes her back the June 2006 arson. Police told Petry, Vigil dug a grave in his backyard and said it was for Petry's daughter.

"There's no way a kid, that kid, is going to be rehabilitated, digging a hole for us, killing our animals, and brining down the house, there's no way," Petry said.

At suspects' arraignment Monday, Carlini's relatives applauded Judge Daniel Ramczyk for slapping the teens with $1 million bonds.

"Given the horrific nature of the allegations, Mr. Vigil, I do find you a danger to the public," Ramczyk said.

Police said Vigil told detectives that he and Midyette argued with Carlini about a planned snowboarding trip just before the killing. It's not clear how that led to murder.