Police in Albuquerque, N.M., arrested Solomon Peña, a former Republican candidate for the state Home of Representatives, on Monday in reference to a number of shootings at native Democratic politicians’ houses, authorities mentioned.
Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina mentioned Peña is accused of conspiring with and paying 4 different males to shoot on the houses of two county commissioners and two state legislators. He was arrested after a quick standoff with a neighborhood SWAT crew.
The division has been investigating no less than six shootings, which occurred between Dec. 4 and Jan. 5. 4 of these have been linked to Peña, police mentioned, and two others are nonetheless beneath investigation.
“It’s believed that he’s the mastermind behind this,” Medina mentioned at a information convention Monday, per NBC Information.
Throughout one assault on Dec. 11, no less than 12 bullets have been fired at a county commissioner’s dwelling, the Albuquerque Journal reported. Throughout one other capturing on Jan. 3, a number of pictures have been fired at state Rep. Linda Lopez’s dwelling, together with three bullets that went by her 10-year-old daughter’s bed room.
Peña launched an unsuccessful bid for New Mexico’s 14th Home district in 2022, shedding by 47 proportion factors to his Democratic opponent, state Rep. Miguel Garcia. The Albuquerque Journal notes that Peña has continued to dispute the outcomes of the race, claiming election fraud.
He confronted criticism throughout his bid after Garcia filed a swimsuit to disqualify him from workplace over a 2008 conviction for stealing in a “smash and seize” theft. He served seven years in jail, however a decide dominated that native legal guidelines barring convicted felons from workplace have been unconstitutional.