Latest news with #SolomonPeña
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Failed New Mexico GOP candidate turned attempted political killer. Why did he do it?
A failed GOP candidate in New Mexico was convicted of orchestrating a shooting spree aimed at Democratic elected officials, including two who certified his election loss, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Monday. Solomon Peña, who ran for a seat in the New Mexico legislature in 2022, was convicted at trial of over a dozen charges in organizing attacks on four lawmakers. His involvement included not just recruiting gunmen − who have already plead guilty − but he participated in one of the attacks using a machine gun, according to court filings. From jail he also tried having witnesses killed, federal officials said. No one was hurt in the shootings, which occurred after Peña's November 2022 electoral defeat. He pressured members of the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners to refuse to certify the results of the election, but despite Peña's pressure, the commissioners certified the results. The dozens of bullets fired in the assaults hit houses, cars and even passed inside the bedroom of a 10-year-old girl, according to court filings and statements from police. Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa, who was the first official targeted and oversaw election certification at the time, celebrated Peña's conviction but said his actions were symptomatic of a growing problem of political violence in America. 'We have to send a clear message that violence is not tolerable, period,' Barboa told USA TODAY. 'Without these kinds of precedents set, people will continue to think that they can take the law into their own hands.' The attacks came amid a rash of political violence across the nation, from an angry mob threatening the lives of top U.S. lawmakers certifying the 2020 presidential election results to the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania last year. Holland S. Kastrin, the acting U.S. Attorney for New Mexico, noted the high stakes of the case. 'A cornerstone of our freedoms is for all citizens, elected officials, and candidates for office to be able to participate in our democratic process safely and securely, without threats, intimidation, or the fear of violence or retaliation,' Kastrin told USA TODAY. 'Peña not only orchestrated a violent conspiracy to undermine these bedrock principles but also sought to have witnesses against him murdered. We welcome the well-founded guilty verdicts which both hold the defendant accountable for his violent and reckless actions and affirm the rule of law.' From gunfire to arrests: Timeline of Las Cruces mass shooting Peña and crew committed the shooting spree between Dec. 4, 2022 and Jan. 3, 2023. They also targeted a state senator, state representative and another county commissioners responsible for certifying election results. The 40-year-old faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 60 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled yet. Accomplices Jose and Demetrio Trujillo plead guilty last year and will be sentenced in the spring, federal officials said. Attorneys for Peña did not respond to requests for comment. More: Court papers reveal details on former Republican candidate linked to shootings at New Mexico lawmakers' homes Barboa said she knew exactly what the attack was about the moment she discovered someone had fired upon her house. 'I knew right away it was political,' she said, recalling seeing the damage done by the bullets that whizzed through her living room and kitchen. 'That year for the whole entire year we had election deniers coming to every meeting.' More: Court filings reveal additional details of deadly Young Park mass shooting The Democratic lawmaker laid the blame for the former GOP hopeful's action squarely on the head of the Republican Party — President Trump. 'People don't think that voice from the White House will reach all the way down to someone like Solomon Peña but it does,' Barboa said. 'This could have been so different for him if he had a leader saying something positive, something uplifting, something true.' What to know about the case: Ex-GOP candidate tied to shootings at NM lawmakers' homes appears in court The lawmakers that the failed GOP candidate targeted included significant elected officials in New Mexico. Peña and crew committed shooting at these lawmakers' homes on the following dates: Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa on Dec. 4, 2022: About eight rounds were fired at Barboa's home, according to police. The shooting happened just after 3:30 p.m. and a pick-up truck was seen in the area by neighbors, according to a criminal complaint. A parked vehicle was also struck by gunfire. State Representative Javier Martínez on Dec. 8, 2022: More than a dozen shots were fired at Martínez's home. His wife, the complaint reads, was home at the time of the attack and heard the gunfire erupt. Neighbors also told police they watched a pick-up truck speed away from the scene. Former Bernalillo County Commissioner Debbie O'Malley Dec. 11, 2022: At least 12 rounds were fired at the home of then-Commissioner O'Malley, according to the complaint. The attack on O'Malley came just days after Peña arrived at her home. "Debbie recalled that he was upset that he had not won the election for public office," the complaint says. Video surveillance from her home showed Peña arrive at her house in a black 2022 Audi. State Senator Linda Lopez on Jan. 3, 2023: Police said Peña accompanied his gunmen to Lopez's home and tried to shoot but his weapon - a machine gun - malfunctioned. Another man shot over a dozen rounds from a handgun, including into the bedroom of Lopez's daughter. A preliminary investigation at the home found "sheet rock and dust was blown on Linda's daughter's face in bed, resulting from firearm projectiles, passing inside her bedroom overhead." Barboa and O'Malley − now a state senator - certified Peña's loss in the November 2022 midterm elections. Martínez became Speaker of the House for the New Mexico House of Representatives in January 2023. 'Solomon Peña's conviction demonstrates that political violence has no place in New Mexico. My family and I are grateful that our justice system worked as it should to hold him accountable for his actions,' he told USA TODAY. 'As an elected official, my focus is on making life safer, better, and more affordable for families in our state and ensuring New Mexico remains a place where we respect each other's opinions and work together for the common good.' Peña - before orchestrating the shooting spree - was running for a seat in the New Mexico House of Representatives in the November 2022 midterm elections. He lost a race for House District 14 - which covers part of Albuquerque - against longtime incumbent Democratic state Representative Miguel P. Garcia. Peña got 26% of the vote. After the November election, Peña had posted on social media it was 'rigged' and he would not concede despite losing his bid for the statehouse in a district that has been held by Democrats for years. On Nov. 15, he posted an image of himself in a 'Make America Great Again' hoodie, saying 'Trump just announced for 2024. I stand with him. I never conceded my HD 14 race. Now researching my options.' A spokesperson for the Republican Party of New Mexico did not respond to questions about how Peña became a GOP candidate. Senator O'Malley, the former commissioner, remembers she was asleep in bed when Peña fired on her house. 'I was just so surprised,' she told USA TODAY. 'My husband and I sat up in bed at the same time. It seemed like someone was pounding on the door with their fist, 'boom, boom, boom.'' The shooting happened days after the shooting on fellow Commissioner Barboa's house and O'Malley says her husband suspected a connection. Later she realized it was the same man that had came knocking around the time of the election. The two spoke at the gate outside of the house. He was "agitated" over the election results and denied losing. But she didn't think him dangerous. 'I thought well this guy is delusional but I didn't think that would translate into what he ended up doing,' she said. 'I think he really thought somehow he was going to be a hero because of his allegiance to Trump and he's now facing a very long time in prison.' Contributing by Natalie Neysa Alund, a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Michael Loria is a national reporter on the USA TODAY breaking news desk. Contact him at mloria@ @mchael_mchael or on Signal at (202) 290-4585. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: From GOP loser to attempted political killer. Who Solomon Peña targeted
USA Today
25-03-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Failed GOP candidate turned attempted political killer. Why did he do it?
Failed GOP candidate turned attempted political killer. Why did he do it? A federal jury in New Mexico found Solomon Peña, 40, guilty of orchestrating a shooting spree aimed at Democratic lawmakers, including two who certified his election loss. Show Caption Hide Caption Watch the moment Trump is injured at Pennsylvania rally Watch the moment that former President Donald Trump was rushed off stage after gunshots rang out as he was speaking to supporters at Butler, Pa., near Pittsburgh. A failed GOP candidate in New Mexico was convicted of orchestrating a shooting spree aimed at Democratic elected officials, including two who certified his election loss, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Monday. Solomon Peña, who ran for a seat in the New Mexico legislature in 2022, was convicted at trial of over a dozen charges in organizing attacks on four lawmakers. His involvement included not just recruiting gunmen - who have already plead guilty - but he participated in one of the attacks using a machine gun, according to court filings. From jail he also tried having witnesses killed, federal officials said. No one was hurt in the shootings, which occurred after Peña's November 2022 electoral defeat. He pressured members of the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners to refuse to certify the results of the election, but despite Peña's pressure, the commissioners certified the results. The dozens of bullets fired in the assaults hit houses, cars and even passed inside the bedroom of a 10-year-old girl, according to court filings and statements from police. Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa, who was the first official targeted and oversaw election certification at the time, celebrated Peña's conviction but said his actions were symptomatic of a growing problem of political violence in America. 'We have to send a clear message that violence is not tolerable, period,' Barboa told USA TODAY. 'Without these kinds of precedents set, people will continue to think that they can take the law into their own hands.' The attacks came amid a rash of political violence across the nation, from an angry mob threatening the lives of top U.S. lawmakers certifying the 2020 presidential election results to the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania last year. Holland S. Kastrin, the acting U.S. Attorney for New Mexico, noted the high stakes of the case. 'A cornerstone of our freedoms is for all citizens, elected officials, and candidates for office to be able to participate in our democratic process safely and securely, without threats, intimidation, or the fear of violence or retaliation,' Kastrin told USA TODAY. 'Peña not only orchestrated a violent conspiracy to undermine these bedrock principles but also sought to have witnesses against him murdered. We welcome the well-founded guilty verdicts which both hold the defendant accountable for his violent and reckless actions and affirm the rule of law.' Peña and crew committed the shooting spree between Dec. 4, 2022 and Jan. 3, 2023. They also targeted a state senator, state representative and another county commissioners responsible for certifying election results. The 40-year-old faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 60 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled yet. Accomplices Jose and Demetrio Trujillo plead guilty last year and will be sentenced in the spring, federal officials said. Attorneys for Peña did not respond to requests for comment. More: Court papers reveal details on former Republican candidate linked to shootings at New Mexico lawmakers' homes 'Emboldened by the highest office': Targeted lawmaker blames Trump Barboa said she knew exactly what the attack was about the moment she discovered someone had fired upon her house. 'I knew right away it was political,' she said, recalling seeing the damage done by the bullets that whizzed through her living room and kitchen. 'That year for the whole entire year we had election deniers coming to every meeting.' The Democratic lawmaker laid the blame for the former GOP hopeful's action squarely on the head of the Republican Party — President Trump. 'People don't think that voice from the White House will reach all the way down to someone like Solomon Peña but it does,' Barboa said. 'This could have been so different for him if he had a leader saying something positive, something uplifting, something true.' What to know about the case: Ex-GOP candidate tied to shootings at NM lawmakers' homes appears in court Who else was Peña after? The lawmakers that the failed GOP candidate targeted included significant elected officials in New Mexico. Peña and crew committed shooting at these lawmakers' homes on the following dates: Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa on Dec. 4, 2022: About eight rounds were fired at Barboa's home, according to police. The shooting happened just after 3:30 p.m. and a pick-up truck was seen in the area by neighbors, according to a criminal complaint. A parked vehicle was also struck by gunfire. About eight rounds were fired at Barboa's home, according to police. The shooting happened just after 3:30 p.m. and a pick-up truck was seen in the area by neighbors, according to a criminal complaint. A parked vehicle was also struck by gunfire. State Representative Javier Martínez on Dec. 8, 2022: More than a dozen shots were fired at Martínez's home. His wife, the complaint reads, was home at the time of the attack and heard the gunfire erupt. Neighbors also told police they watched a pick-up truck speed away from the scene. More than a dozen shots were fired at Martínez's home. His wife, the complaint reads, was home at the time of the attack and heard the gunfire erupt. Neighbors also told police they watched a pick-up truck speed away from the scene. Former Bernalillo County Commissioner Debbie O'Malley Dec. 11, 2022: At least 12 rounds were fired at the home of then-Commissioner O'Malley, according to the complaint. The attack on O'Malley came just days after Peña arrived at her home. "Debbie recalled that he was upset that he had not won the election for public office," the complaint says. Video surveillance from her home showed Peña arrive at her house in a black 2022 Audi. At least 12 rounds were fired at the home of then-Commissioner O'Malley, according to the complaint. The attack on O'Malley came just days after Peña arrived at her home. "Debbie recalled that he was upset that he had not won the election for public office," the complaint says. Video surveillance from her home showed Peña arrive at her house in a black 2022 Audi. State Senator Linda Lopez on Jan. 3, 2023: Police said Peña accompanied his gunmen to Lopez's home and tried to shoot but his weapon - a machine gun - malfunctioned. Another man shot over a dozen rounds from a handgun, including into the bedroom of Lopez's daughter. A preliminary investigation at the home found "sheet rock and dust was blown on Linda's daughter's face in bed, resulting from firearm projectiles, passing inside her bedroom overhead." Barboa and O'Malley - now a state senator - certified Peña's loss in the November 2022 midterm elections. Martínez became Speaker of the House for the New Mexico House of Representatives in January 2023. 'Solomon Peña's conviction demonstrates that political violence has no place in New Mexico. My family and I are grateful that our justice system worked as it should to hold him accountable for his actions,' he told USA TODAY. 'As an elected official, my focus is on making life safer, better, and more affordable for families in our state and ensuring New Mexico remains a place where we respect each other's opinions and work together for the common good.' What was Peña running for? Peña - before orchestrating the shooting spree - was running for a seat in the New Mexico House of Representatives in the November 2022 midterm elections. He lost a race for House District 14 - which covers part of Albuquerque - against longtime incumbent Democratic state Representative Miguel P. Garcia. Peña got 26% of the vote. After the November election, Peña had posted on social media it was 'rigged' and he would not concede despite losing his bid for the statehouse in a district that has been held by Democrats for years. On Nov. 15, he posted an image of himself in a 'Make America Great Again' hoodie, saying 'Trump just announced for 2024. I stand with him. I never conceded my HD 14 race. Now researching my options.' A spokesperson for the Republican Party of New Mexico did not respond to questions about how Peña became a GOP candidate. Peña comes 'knocking' Senator O'Malley, the former commissioner, remembers she was asleep in bed when Peña fired on her house. 'I was just so surprised,' she told USA TODAY. 'My husband and I sat up in bed at the same time. It seemed like someone was pounding on the door with their fist, 'boom, boom, boom.'' The shooting happened days after the shooting on fellow Commissioner Barboa's house and O'Malley says her husband suspected a connection. Later she realized it was the same man that had came knocking around the time of the election. The two spoke at the gate outside of the house. He was "agitated" over the election results and denied losing. But she didn't think him dangerous. 'I thought well this guy is delusional but I didn't think that would translate into what he ended up doing,' she said. 'I think he really thought somehow he was going to be a hero because of his allegiance to Trump and he's now facing a very long time in prison.' Contributing by Natalie Neysa Alund, a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Michael Loria is a national reporter on the USA TODAY breaking news desk. Contact him at mloria@ @mchael_mchael or on Signal at (202) 290-4585.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Solomon Peña to be sentenced in July
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The man behind multiple shootings at the homes of Democratic officials is expected to be sentenced this summer in federal court. Earlier this week, Solomon Peña, a former New Mexico Republican House candidate, was found guilty on 13 counts related to the shootings. House speaker Javier Martinez, who was the target of one of the shootings, said the conviction shows political violence has no place in New Mexico. 19-year-old shot by APD identified as murder suspect Peña is scheduled to be sentenced on July 2 at the Albuquerque federal courthouse. He is facing a life sentence. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Failed GOP candidate convicted of shooting homes of political rivals
March 21 (UPI) -- A federal jury has convicted a former Republican candidate for the New Mexico House of Representatives for shooting at the homes of his perceived political rivals following his 2022 election defeat. Solomon Peña, 40, was convicted Wednesday by a federal jury that found him guilty of one count of conspiracy, four counts of intimidation and interference with a federally protected activities and several firearms charges and three counts of solicitation to commit a crime of violence. The Justice Department announced Peña's conviction Thursday in a statement. Peña faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 60 years' imprisonment and a maximum penalty of life behind bars. Peña was arrested in Albuquerque in January 2023 on accusations of leading a conspiracy involving four gunmen he paid to shoot at the homes of two Bernalillo County commissioners and two state legislators in December. The shootings followed Peña's November defeat for the District 14 seat in New Mexico's House of Representatives. He had ran as a Republican and was easily defeated by Democrat Miguel Garcia, who secured 74% of the vote. Federal prosecutors said that following his election defeat, Peña had pressured members of the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners to refuse to certify the results. According to authorities, he had visited several of their houses to lodge complaints alleging the election was rigged and involved voter fraud. When they did not heed to his demands, he took to shooting at their homes between Dec. 4, 2023, and Jan. 3, 2023. The home targeted in the shootings belonged to Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa on Dec. 4, New Mexico House Speaker Javier Martinez on Dec. 8, former Bernalillo County Commissioner Debbie O'Malley on Dec. 11 and State Sen. Linda Lopez on Jan. 3 Two co-conspirators -- Jose Trujillo and Demetrio Trujillo -- previously pleaded guilty to their involvement in the conspiracy. Federal prosecutors on Thursday said Peña was also accused of soliciting several inmates while in jail to murder witnesses to prevent their testimony during his trial.
New York Times
20-03-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Republican Ex-Candidate Is Found Guilty in Plot to Shoot New Mexico Democrats
A former Republican candidate for a state legislative seat in New Mexico was found guilty on federal charges on Wednesday in connection with drive-by shootings targeting the homes of four Democratic officials, according to the U.S. attorney's office in New Mexico. The former candidate, Solomon Peña, was accused of orchestrating the shootings at the homes of the Democratic officials that took place in early December 2022 and early January 2023, weeks after he lost his bid for a statehouse seat. No one was injured in the attacks, though the authorities said bullets entered the bedroom of a state senator's 10-year-old daughter. A jury deliberated for about five hours before finding Mr. Peña guilty on all 13 counts, including conspiracy, weapons-related charges and interference with federally protected activities, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office said. Two other defendants in the case, Demetrio Trujillo and his son Jose Trujillo, pleaded guilty last year. In response to a request for comment, Nicholas Hart, Mr. Peña's lawyer, said in a text message that he planned to appeal the verdict, which he said was 'a travesty.' 'I think that trial was all about politics,' he said. When Mr. Peña was arrested in January 2023, the authorities said that he had paid four men in cash and 'sent text messages with addresses where he wanted them to shoot at the homes.' The drive-by shootings started in December 2022, when shots were fired at three homes belonging to Democratic officials, including a county commissioner and a state senator. Mr. Peña refused to concede his loss in the 2022 legislative race, even after falling short by a wide margin to an incumbent in an Albuquerque district that has long voted for Democrats. Prosecutors said he visited the homes of several county commissioners and a state senator to urge them not to certify the results, complaining that the contest had been 'rigged.' 'He approached all of these commissioners and the senator at their home with paperwork claiming there was fraud involved in those elections,' Gilbert Gallegos, a spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department, said in 2023. Mr. Peña's trial started on March 10 and went to the jury after just over two weeks of testimony, according to court documents. The Justice Department said in 2023 that he would face a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 60 years if he were to be convicted on the federal charges. Mr. Peña was convicted in 2008 on a range of state charges, including burglary of a vehicle, larceny and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He began serving time in May 2009 and was released under probation and parole in March 2016, according to the New Mexico Corrections Department. He was discharged from supervision in March 2021.
