Solomon Pena, a former Republican candidate who lost an election for the New Mexico House of Representatives, was arrested by police in southwest Albuquerque, N.M. in 2023. He was found guilty of orchestrating a scheme to have people shoot at the homes of local Democratic leaders, as confirmed by his lawyer. Pena, 41, faced charges including solicitation to commit violence, using firearms in violent acts, and conspiracy, among others, as outlined in a federal indictment filed against him in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque. Following a trial, Pena was convicted on all counts and now faces a potential life sentence. The shootings, involving multiple elected officials, were carried out by Pena and his co-defendants, Demetrio Trujillo, 43, and his son, Jose Trujillo, 24. While the Trujillos have pleaded guilty and await sentencing, Pena’s attorney maintains his innocence, arguing that his client did not order or commit the shootings. Despite this, Pena was held responsible for the violent acts, leading to his conviction. The indictment did not specify the names of the targeted officials, but some victims have spoken out about the incidents. Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa and former County Commissioner Debbie O’Malley recounted encounters with Pena prior to the shootings at their homes, which occurred in late 2022. The defense attorney criticized the Trujillos for shifting blame onto Pena to escape punishment for their actions. Prosecutors have yet to comment on the verdict, leaving the case with unanswered questions about the motives behind the violent attacks.”**
The situation was deeply disturbing. He was upset over his election loss. According to police, gunfire hit her residence on December 11 and December 12, 2022, while she and her husband were asleep. Albuquerque law enforcement reported that state Sen. Linda Lopez’s home was also targeted with at least eight bullets.
