Former GOP candidate arrested in shootings at Albuquerque Democrats’ homes
Brady Knox
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A former Republican candidate suspected of being behind a string of shootings at Democratic officials’ homes was arrested after a standoff with police Monday.
Solomon Pena was arrested by Albuquerque police after a standoff with SWAT units, the Albuquerque Journal reported. He is accused of hiring four people to fire at the homes and businesses of four Democratic officials from Dec. 4 to Jan. 5.
“Pena, an unsuccessful legislative candidate in the 2022 election, is accused of conspiring with and paying four other men to shoot at the homes of two county commissioners and two state legislators,” Chief Harold Medina said.
SHOTS FIRED AT HOMES OF FOUR ALBUQUERQUE ELECTED OFFICIALS
Video posted on YouTube showed Pena being escorted into a police car.
The homes or businesses of Commissioners Adriann Barboa and Debbie O’Malley and state Sens. Linda Lopez and Moe Maestas were fired upon in the shootings. The number of shots fired in each attack ranged from eight to over a dozen, police said.
The candidate he lost to, incumbent state Rep. Miguel P. Garcia, also a Democrat, was not among those fired upon.
Pena’s candidacy garnered widespread attention. When Garcia filed suit to disqualify him under a law that bans felons from running for office — Pena had served nearly seven years in prison for theft — a judge denied it, reasoning that banning felons from running for office was unconstitutional. Pena went on to win one-third of the votes Garcia did. He garnered 2,033 votes to Garcia’s 5,679.
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Despite his large margin of loss, Pena repeatedly claimed on his Twitter account that his election was rigged.
“I didn’t lose nada, it was rigged,” he tweeted on Jan. 2.
https://twitter.com/SolomonPena2022/status/1610008718015623168?s=20&t=AMCVB6EkMMDP8b-LgLQ_bw