Detectives worked with local prosecutors before charging a 21-year-old man in the shooting death of his sister.
SANTA FE, N.M. — Santa Fe police seized a rifle, processed a residential shooting scene and consulted prosecutors before charging a 21-year-old man with involuntary manslaughter in the death of his sister, according to police accounts released as the investigation developed.
The case began Sept. 5 when officers were dispatched at about 1:45 p.m. to a residence near Rufina Street and Atocha Road after receiving a report of an accidental shooting. Officers found 24-year-old Alexia Verdugo Sigala with a gunshot wound. Paramedics took her to a local hospital, and she was later flown to University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque, where she died.
Police said their early investigation indicated that Verdugo Sigala’s adult brother had allegedly discharged a rifle unintentionally and that the shot struck her in the torso. Detectives interviewed the brother and took the rifle into custody as evidence. Crime scene personnel were also called to process the residence and collect evidence.
At first, police did not announce a criminal charge. The department said homicide detectives were working with the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office to determine what charges were appropriate. Police also said no other suspects were at large and that investigators did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the public.
Two days after that initial announcement, police identified the brother as Yasell Sandoval Sigala, 21, of Santa Fe, and said an involuntary manslaughter charge had been filed against him. Police said he would be summoned to make a court appearance rather than announcing that he had been booked into jail.
The progression of the case reflects the difference between the initial investigation of a death and the criminal charge ultimately selected by authorities. Police had referred to Verdugo Sigala’s death as a homicide investigation while detectives examined the evidence. Their later announcement accused Sandoval Sigala of involuntary manslaughter and continued to characterize the rifle discharge as allegedly unintentional.
Authorities have not publicly provided a detailed sequence of events immediately preceding the gunshot. Local news reports said the shooting occurred during a family gathering, but police releases have focused primarily on the emergency response, the recovery of the firearm and the subsequent investigation. No claim that the shooting was intentional has been announced by police.
The rifle remains part of the evidence gathered in the investigation, according to police. The department has not publicly released further technical information about the weapon or disclosed additional forensic findings. Investigators have also not announced any other person as a suspect in Verdugo Sigala’s death.
The case remains under active investigation even after the filing of the charge. Sandoval Sigala is accused of involuntary manslaughter, and the allegation will be handled through the court process. Police have not announced additional charges or a final resolution of the case.
Author note: Last updated September 9, 2026.