Act Daily News
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A Republican former candidate for New Mexico’s legislature arrested on suspicion of orchestrating 4 latest shootings at Democratic leaders’ houses had visited a minimum of three of these officers’ houses to debate election outcomes, Albuquerque Police mentioned.
Solomon Peña, who misplaced a 2022 run for state House District 14, is accused of paying and conspiring with 4 males to shoot on the houses of two state legislators and two county commissioners.
According to police:
• Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa’s residence was shot at a number of occasions on December 4.
• Incoming state House Speaker Javier Martinez’s residence was shot at on December 8.
• Former Bernalillo County Commissioner Debbie O’Malley’s residence was shot at on December 11.
• State Sen. Linda Lopez’s residence was shot at on January 3.
• Peña went to a different commissioner’s residence to debate the election, however that commissioner “never reported any shots fired,” Albuquerque police mentioned.
No one was injured in any of the shootings. Peña can also be accused of attempting to take part in a minimum of one of many shootings himself, Albuquerque police mentioned. He was arrested by a police SWAT workforce Monday.
The investigation discovered “these shootings were indeed politically motivated,” Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller mentioned. He known as Peña “an election denier.”
After shedding the election, Peña approached a state senator and two county commissioners at their houses with paperwork claiming there was fraud concerned within the elections, Albuquerque police mentioned.
Peña was arrested on preliminary prices of felon in possession of a firearm; tried aggravated battery with a lethal weapon; legal solicitation; and 4 counts every of capturing at an occupied dwelling, capturing at or from a motorized vehicle, and conspiracy, in accordance with a warrant.
Act Daily News has reached out to Peña’s marketing campaign web site for remark and has been unable to establish his lawyer.
False and unfounded claims about election fraud have exploded nationwide in recent times and fueled anger and threats of violence in opposition to elected officers – even in native politics.
Barboa, the county commissioner whose residence was shot at a number of occasions on December 4, informed Act Daily News about an “erratic” encounter with Peña earlier than the capturing.
“He came to my house after the election and he’s an election denier. He weaponized those dangerous thoughts to threaten me and others, causing serious trauma,” Barboa informed “Act Daily News This Morning” on Tuesday.
“He was saying that the elections were fake … I didn’t feel threatened at the time, but I did feel like he was erratic.”
Similarly, O’Malley – the previous Bernalillo county commissioner – informed police Peña was at her residence simply days earlier than the December 11 capturing there, in accordance with an arrest warrant affidavit obtained from Albuquerque police.
“Debbie recalled that he was upset that he had not won the election for public office, even though Debbie O’Malley was not a contender,” the affidavit says.
Ring doorbell digital camera footage recorded at O’Malley’s earlier residence and obtained by Act Daily News exhibits Peña approaching the door and knocking, holding paperwork in his palms.
The present resident speaks to him by means of the digital camera’s speaker characteristic, telling him O’Malley now not lives at that residence and directing him to her new residence.
While nobody was injured in any of the shootings, Peña “intended to (cause) serious injury or cause death to occupants inside their homes,” an arrest warrant affidavit reads.
“There is probable cause to believe that soon after his unsuccessful (political) campaign, he conspired … to commit these four shootings” on the officers’ houses, the affidavit states.
Firearm proof, surveillance footage, witness accounts plus cellular phone and digital data helped officers join 5 individuals to the alleged conspiracy, Albuquerque police Deputy Cmdr. Kyle Hartsock mentioned Monday.
Peña was first linked to the January 3 capturing at Lopez’s residence.
That day, Lopez “heard loud bangs but dismissed them as fireworks at the time,” she informed police.
But her 10-year-old daughter wakened pondering a spider was crawling on her face and that there was sand in her mattress. It turned out to be sheetrock mud that was blown onto the kid’s face from a bullet passing by means of her bed room, the affidavit says.
Police later discovered “12 impacts” on the state senator’s residence and shell casings close by, in accordance with the affidavit.
About 40 minutes after the capturing, a deputy noticed a silver Nissan Maxima with “an improperly displayed license plate sticker” about 4 miles from Lopez’s residence and made a site visitors cease, the affidavit states.
The Nissan was registered to Peña – nevertheless it was pushed by one other man on the time who had a felony warrant out for his arrest, the affidavit states.
In the trunk, the deputy discovered a Glock handgun with a drum journal and an AR pistol, police mentioned. The handgun matched the shell casings from the lawmaker’s residence, police mentioned in a news launch.
Investigators then linked Peña to the shootings on the different officers’ houses. On Monday, detectives served search warrants at Peña’s house and the house of two males allegedly paid by Peña, police mentioned.
“After the election in November, Solomon Peña reached out and contracted someone for an amount of cash money to commit at least two of these shootings. The addresses of the shootings were communicated over phone,” Hartsock mentioned Monday, citing the investigation.
“Within hours, in one case, the shooting took place at the lawmaker’s home.”
One of the conspirators initially informed shooters “to aim above the windows to avoid striking anyone inside,” the affidavit reads, citing a confidential witness with data of the alleged conspiracy.
But Peña finally needed the shooters to be “more aggressive” and “aim lower and shoot around 8 p.m. because occupants would more likely not be laying down,” the affidavit says, citing the confidential witness.
In the most recent capturing, police discovered proof “Peña himself went … and actually pulled the trigger on at least one of the firearms that was used,” Hartsock mentioned. But an AR handgun he tried to make use of malfunctioned, and greater than a dozen rounds have been fired by one other shooter, a police news launch mentioned.
Authorities are nonetheless investigating whether or not these suspected of finishing up the shootings have been “even aware of who these targets were or if they were just conducting shootings,” Hartsock mentioned.
Peña, who misplaced the election to Democratic state Rep. Miguel Garcia 26% to 74% – had publicly alleged that the race was rigged, his Twitter account exhibits.
“Trump just announced for 2024. I stand with him. I never conceded my HD 14 race. Now researching my options,” Peña tweeted November 15 after shedding his race.
On January 2, in response to somebody who requested him if his election was rigged, Peña tweeted: “Si, mine was also rigged. And I will fight it until the day I die.”
The most up-to-date time Peña tweeted that he didn’t lose the election was on January 9, when he posted “When we finally defeat the rigged NM elections, oh, the hero I will be! MAGA nation 4ever!”
Keller, the Democratic mayor of Albuquerque, known as Peña a “right-wing radical” and a “dangerous criminal.”
“This type of radicalism is a threat to our nation and has made its way to our doorstep right here in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but we will continue will push back against hate,” Keller mentioned in an announcement.
“Differences of opinion are fundamental to democracy, but disagreements should never lead to violence.”
In addition to creating unsupported claims about election outcomes, Peña replied to a number of Twitter customers who talked about his legal historical past and time spent in jail.
During the autumn marketing campaign, Peña’s opponent, Garcia, sued to have Peña faraway from the poll, arguing Peña’s standing as an ex-felon ought to stop him from with the ability to run for public workplace within the state, Act Daily News affiliate KOAT reported.
Peña served virtually years in jail after a 2008 conviction for stealing a big quantity of products in a “smash and grab scheme,” the KOAT report mentioned.
A district court docket decide dominated Peña was allowed to run within the election, KOAT reported.