GOP candidate participated in shooting at Democrat’s home in Albuquerque, police say
Brady Knox
Video Embed
A former Republican candidate in Albuquerque personally participated in one of several shootings at the homes of Democratic officials, according to police.
Solomon Pena was arrested Monday after a brief standoff. He is accused of hiring different gunmen to fire at the homes and businesses of four Democratic officials.
Police revealed new information about the conspiracy in charging documents released Tuesday. Pena now faces a plethora of charges related to the shootings: four counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling, four counts of shooting at or from a motor vehicle, four counts of conspiracy, possessing a firearm with a felony conviction, attempted aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and criminal solicitation, the Washington Post reported.
EX-GOP NEW MEXICO CANDIDATE SOLOMON PENA VISITED HOMES BEFORE SHOOTING RAMPAGE: REPORT
Pena “provided firearms and cash payments and personally participated in at least one shooting,” the documents said.
The report said he intended to cause “serious injury or death.”
He personally participated in the shooting on Jan. 3 after complaining that the previous shootings had aimed “so high up on the walls,” the documents read.
That shooting at the home of state Sen. Linda Lopez came close to hitting her sleeping 10-year-old daughter.
At least two of the co-conspirators that he contracted, Demitrio Trujillo and Jose Trujillo, were felons out on a warrant, according to Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller (D).
Pena visited all four targets’ houses in the days prior to the shootings and attempted to persuade them that his election had been rigged. When he failed to persuade them, he contracted the felons to shoot up their homes, according to the mayor.
“What’s absolutely disturbing and terrifying is that he went from that to literally contracting felons who were out on warrant to shoot up their houses,” Keller said. “That’s the leap he took within a matter of days.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Pena lost his election by a nearly 2 to 1 margin, but he maintained that it had been rigged against him. He had served eight years in prison previously for robbery.