Latest news with #JoseLouiseTrujillo
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Man who helped shoot the homes of NM elected officials gets shorter sentence
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A man who was hired to shoot up the homes of New Mexico Democrats was shown some leniency by the courts and sentenced to a little more than three years in prison. Story continues below Job News: NM proposes rule aimed at preventing heat illness for workers Poll Results: Where is the best place to go fishing in New Mexico? Don't Miss: One man's journey out of the juvenile justice system to mentorship Jose Louise Trujillo, along with his father Demetrio Trujillo, was hired by Solomon Peña to intimidate four elected officials after Peña lost his race for state representative. Today, Judge Kea Riggs told Trujillo he was getting an opportunity to change his life after granting a lighter sentence. More than two years ago, Solomon Peña was arrested for orchestrating a series of shootings in 2022 and 2023, targeting four democratic elected officials he considered his political enemies, after he lost his race to be a republican state representative. 'To me, this was one of those special cases that wasn't just a victim, it was a threat on democracy,' said Chief Harold Medina, Albuquerque Police Department. Peña hired Jose Louise Trujillo and his father, Demetrio Trujillo, to help him carry out the shootings. In the plea agreement, Jose Louise Trujillo admits to being paid by Peña to break windows, slash tires, and shoot at the homes of the victims. Over five weeks, the homes of Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa, then incoming Speaker of the House Javier Martinez, then Bernalillo County Commissioner Debbie O'Malley, and State Senator Linda Lopez, were hit. Jose Trujillo was apprehended during a traffic stop where police found nearly 900 fentanyl pills in his car, along with two guns, an AR-15, and a Glock, which was later connected to the shootings. 'I remember the fact that it had a Glock switch and it was a fully automatic firearm and recognizing that there were a lot of lives put in danger that day with this individual's actions,' said Chief Medina. Thursday in federal court, prosecutors spoke on Trujillo's behalf, asking the judge to recognize Trujillo's courage to cooperate with the FBI despite multiple threats to his well-being. Jose Trujillo was emotional, apologizing for his actions and knowing he had hurt people. He also described how, in the time he's been incarcerated, he's been spit on, beaten, and even stabbed for his cooperation with authorities. 'I believe it's a reflection of Mr. Trujillo's, Jose Trujillo's maturity in the past two and half plus years and of his acceptance of the poor decisions he made that led him here and led him to get this sentence today,' said Trujillo's defense attorney, John Anderson, with Holland & Hart. Trujillo's defense said his client was 'groomed' by Solomon Peña, something the judge took into account, along with Trujillo's lack of any political motivation. She sentenced him to three years and one month in prison. 'Well, today marked the end of a lengthy ordeal for Mr. Jose Trujillo. It was one in which he truly came to terms with his own responsibility and culpability,' said Anderson. Jose Trujillo's time served in the last two years will count towards his sentence, meaning he could be released in the next three to four months. Wednesday, Jose Trujillo's father, Demetrio Trujillo, was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. Soloman Peña is expected to be sentenced in July. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Failed NM House candidate faces July sentencing for conspiracy, interference in 2022 elections
The federal courthouse in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Photo by Megan Gleason / Source NM) The man who lost a race for the New Mexico Legislature and went on to orchestrate a series of shootings on the homes of his political opponents will be sentenced this summer. Solomon Peña is scheduled to receive his prison sentence at 9 a.m. on July 2 in Albuquerque, according to an order entered by U.S. District Judge Kea Riggs on March 21. Peña ran as a Republican for a seat in the state House of Representatives in 2022 and lost in a landslide by more than 47 points. A jury last month found Peña guilty of organizing a series of shootings that targeted the homes of four elected Democratic officials in December 2022 and January 2023 after he refused to accept defeat. No one was physically harmed in the attacks, but police found bullet holes in the buildings. The jurors found Peña guilty of one count of conspiracy for his role in the shootings; four counts of interfering with the 2022 elections; three counts of using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a violent crime; one count of using or carrying a machinegun during and in relation to a violent crime; and one count of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The Democratic Party of New Mexico on Monday pointed to Peña's case after Republican leaders in New Mexico blamed a town hall meeting organized by U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.) for a weekend fire they believe is arson on the state GOP headquarters in Albuquerque. The case against Peña is being handled by the federal Department of Justice's Election Threats Task Force, which was created in the wake of the 2020 election to protect election workers from violence. Last month, U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined other Democratic senators to urge federal Attorney General Pam Bondi to continue the task force's work. 'Given the recent disturbing personnel and policy decisions at the Department and the lack of transparency about the future of the Task Force, we request an immediate update on the status and activities of the Task Force, as well as what resources will be provided to ensure its important work continues so that election officials of both parties can safely administer our elections,' the senators wrote. In their letter, they asked Bondi for an update on its status and activities by Monday. A spokesperson for Luján said Tuesday that his office has not received a response. The jury also found Peña guilty of three counts of solicitation to commit a violent crime for trying to hire — while incarcerated — two people to kill Demetrio Trujillo and Jose Louise Trujillo, a father-son duo who are co-defendants in the case against Peña and who accepted plea agreements last year. Jose Louise Trujillo, who helped Peña's election campaign, had been scheduled for sentencing on April 14, but his attorney asked Judge Riggs to delay his sentencing by a month. Online court records indicate Riggs entered an order responding to his request but the order itself was not posted online as of publication time. Demetrio Trujillo is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21. One of Peña's victims, Debbie O'Malley, went on to become a state senator, and talked about her experience in the Roundhouse while she helped carry gun safety legislation. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
