Police in Albuquerque, NM arrested Solomon Peña, a former Republican candidate for the House of Representatives, on Monday in connection with several shootings at the homes of local Democratic politicians, authorities said.
Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina said Peña is accused of conspiring with four other men and paying her to destroy the homes of two county commissioners and two state lawmakers. He was arrested after a brief standoff with a local SWAT team.
The department investigated at least six shootings that occurred between Dec. 4 and Jan. 5. Four of those have been linked to Peña, police said, and two others are still being investigated.
“He is believed to be the mastermind behind this,” Medina told NBC News at a news conference Monday.
During an attack on Dec. 11, at least 12 bullets were fired into the home of a county commissioner, the Albuquerque Journal reported. During another shooting on Jan. 3, multiple shots were fired at the home of state Rep. Linda Lopez, including three bullets that went through her 10-year-old daughter’s bedroom.
Peña launched an unsuccessful bid for New Mexico’s 14th home district in 2022, losing by 47 percentage points to his Democratic opponent, state Rep. Miguel Garcia. The Albuquerque Journal notes that Peña continued to challenge the results of the race, alleging voter fraud.
He faced criticism during his bid after Garcia filed a lawsuit to disqualify him from office because of a 2008 conviction for theft in a robbery. He served seven years in prison, but a judge ruled that local laws barring convicted felons from working were unconstitutional.
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