Michael Rey Benavidez was born and raised in the south valley of Albuquerque, New Mexico. His family has been in New Mexico there since 1598, as they came to the United States with Juan Ornate. His Benavidez family is from Southern New Mexico the Sevettia Spanish Land Grant that is located within Bernardo San Acasasia to Los Pino Mountains to Los Lorderes Mountains in Socorro County, New Mexico.