Retired West Las Vegas gym teacher, coach killed; son charged

Oct. 28—Former colleagues at West Las Vegas High School remember Virginia Lujan as a gym teacher and coach who cared deeply for her students.

They said they were shocked when they learned Lujan — who had served as an educator and coach for 31 years before retiring in 2010 — was slain last week in an Albuquerque home.

Lujan's 38-year-old son, Robert Lujan of Albuquerque, is charged with first-degree murder in her death. State District Judge Jennifer J. Wernersbach in Bernalillo County granted a motion by prosecutors Monday requesting he be held without bond until his trial.

Family members told Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office investigators Robert Lujan often took fentanyl and possibly methamphetamine and "would get violent and not act normal," a criminal complaint says.

Her son-in-law said Virginia Lujan, 72, had called him several days before her death, expressing concerns about her son's violent behavior, according to the complaint. Robert Lujan also had gotten violent with him during a visit to the man's house, the son-in-law said, and he'd had to restrain Robert Lujan until police arrived.

Attempts to reach Virginia Lujan's daughter were unsuccessful.

Deputies arrived at Robert Lujan's home in Albuquerque's North Valley around 9 a.m. Oct. 18 in response to a 911 call from the son-in-law, who told dispatchers Robert Lujan had called him to say his mother had fallen and hit her head and was not breathing, the criminal complaint says.

The deputies discovered a gruesome scene.

There was broken glass on the floor, broken chairs and clothing scattered about, Detective Cameron Carroll wrote in the criminal complaint.

He found multiple pools of blood on the carpet and a large silver knife with what appeared to be blood on it next to a pair of leggings and a bra, Carroll wrote.

"I observed blood in the hallway and on multiple rugs and blankets," he wrote. "In the middle bathroom, I observed the water to be running and leaking onto the floor ... [there was] blood on the bathtub inside and out."

Paramedics had moved Virginia Lujan's body to a tiled front hallway in their attempt to revive her, according to the complaint.

She had multiple wounds.

The skin on one of her hands was cut and bleeding and appeared to have been pulled back, the complaint says. A stream of blood was trickling down her leg, and her face and chest were swollen black and blue.

Back at the station, the detective wrote, Robert Lujan gave a rambling, changing story about what had happened at the home. At first he said the blood was that of his wife, who had slipped on a bar of soap in the shower and had hit her face on the faucet.

"I asked him if his mother Virginia was at the house because it was not [his wife] who was deceased," the deputy wrote in the complaint. "He stated she was at the home earlier but had to leave to go to the NM Highlands football game."

Robert Lujan then switched his story, the deputy reported, saying it was his mother who had slipped and hit her head in the bath. "He advised me to talk to his mother. ... I informed him ... she was deceased. Robert then asked if I was accusing him of murdering his mom."

The complaint says Robert Lujan was caught on video when he was alone in the interview room, confessing to killing his mother.

"I reviewed the footage and observed Robert sitting in the room, alone on the chair," Carroll wrote. "Robert stated 'I killed my mom.' He then got on the ground and then repeated 'I killed my mom.' Robert then repeated the statement a third time. 'I killed my mom.' This was recorded while no one but Robert was in the room."

Veronica Ulibarri, the human resources director for West Las Vegas Schools, wrote in an email Virginia Lujan had spent most of her 31-year career with the district as a physical education teacher at West Las Vegas High School. She also coached basketball, volleyball and softball throughout the years.

"She was one of those teachers that cared about the kids and was always there for them," said Dawn C' de Baca, a former West Las Vegas High teacher and coach who worked with Lujan from 1998 to 2004.

"She impacted a lot of students' lives," C' de Baca said. "She was just one of those type of people the kids knew they could depend on. They could go to her with any problem they were having and have that additional support at school."

"She was a pretty special lady," said West Las Vegas High athletic director Richard Tripp. "She put everybody before herself, whether it be her kids or her players. She made sure everyone was taken care of."

"We were shocked when we received the news of her death," Tripp said. "It's still hard for many of us to process. We're just devastated as a West Las Vegas community.

"She was a Don," he added, referring to the school's mascot. "She will always be a Don to us. She will always be wearing green and gold up in softball heaven."