ALAMOSA — Investigation is ongoing into the stabbing death of rural Alamosa resident Lorraine Gallegos, 71, and an affidavit for an arrest warrant has been filed for her husband Elias “Lee” Narciso Gallegos, 74.

According to Alamosa County Sheriff Robert Jackson, his department responded to a possible stabbing Friday morning, July 27, about 11:30 a.m. at 8108.5 County Road 110 South. Upon their arrival, deputies found Lorraine Gallegos deceased.

Alamosa County Deputy Coroner Jeri Chacon pronounced Lorraine Gallegos dead at the scene at 11:47 a.m.

According to the affidavit for an arrest warrant, Lee Gallegos also had several puncture wounds that he told EMS personnel were self inflicted and that he stabbed himself because he killed his wife but did not know why.

Lee Gallegos was transported for treatment locally and transferred to a Denver-area hospital where he remained as of Monday afternoon. At that time he was not yet in custody, but the affidavit for his arrest lists probable cause to arrest him on charges of murder in the first degree, harassment and domestic violence.

Colorado Bureau of Investigations is assisting with the ongoing investigation in this case.

According to family members, Lee Gallegos was suffering from Frontal Lobe Dementia, which had become rapidly and aggressively worse in recent months.

“This act was not who Lee Gallegos was for 74 years of his life. This is who he became because of an illness that started or at least was noticed five months ago. We were not aware of the possible outcome of this disease,” the family stated.

Family stated that Lee Gallegos had been waiting for an appointment with a neurologist in August that might have provided more information and/or assistance in managing the symptoms of Frontal Lobe Dementia, an incurable degenerative condition involving the shrinking of the frontal lobe that can result in extreme personality changes.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Lee Gallegos stated he “did not know why he killed Lorraine, and could not understand what he had done, but knew he did it.”

The affidavit stated that Lee Gallegos subsequently related that the night before he had told his wife he was having bad thoughts, which scared her, and that he grabbed her and attempted to throw her to the ground, but she calmed him down. The next morning while Lorraine was trying to schedule appointments for her husband, his bad thoughts returned, and he again grabbed her, he told authorities. He said he then threw his wife to the kitchen floor and stabbed her multiple times.

According to the affidavit, earlier that morning one of the Gallegos’ sons who lives outside of the San Luis Valley had called and talked to his father, who seemed normal to him at the time, and they briefly talked about an appointment Lee Gallegos had later that day in Colorado Springs. However, shortly after 11 a.m. Lee’s brother called the Gallegos’ son, who had asked his uncle to check on his parents, and Lee’s brother had gone to their house but could not get anyone to answer. A couple of minutes later the son received a call from his father telling him he had killed his mother, at which time the son called 9-1-1. Authorities also received a 9-1-1 call from a family friend who had gone to the Gallegos residence after receiving a call from Lee Gallegos who was “breathing weak like he was sick” so he went to check on him, and he and Lee’s brother went into the house and found Lorraine on the floor and Lee sitting at the table. He was sent outside where EMS examined him and found he had several puncture wounds to his chest, neck and arms.

According to the affidavit, he told EMS personnel he stabbed himself because he killed his wife.