Quote:

Albuquerque police on Monday arrested the man they say is the “mastermind” behind a recent string of shootings targeting Democratic lawmakers’ homes.

The suspect, Solomon Pena, is a Republican who unsuccessfully ran for office in November, has made repeated claims that the election was rigged and appears to have attended the Jan. 6, 2021, riot in Washington, D.C.

Around 3 p.m. APD’s SWAT team swarmed a condominium complex near the ABQ BioPark Zoo to execute a search warrant. They made announcements for Pena — who they said may be armed with a firearm — to surrender as drones flew overhead.

Within an hour officers had arrested Pena, who is accused of paying four men to shoot at the homes of two county commissioners and two state legislators, Police Chief Harold Medina announced Monday evening. Investigators also believe Pena was present for at least one of the shootings.

One of the four men Pena is accused of hiring, Jose Trujillo, is being prosecuted federally on drug trafficking and firearm charges but the names of the other suspects were not immediately released.

Pena ran unsuccessfully in the House District 14 race and claimed on social media he should have won the election. He also visited three of the targeted officials’ homes unannounced in November complaining the election was fraudulent and should not be certified.

The break in the case came after the shooting at Lopez’s home.

More than a dozen shots were fired after midnight on Jan. 3, and police received a ShotSpotter notification.

Medina said responding officers found shell casings, but didn’t immediately see any damage.

The state senator who represents District 11 later reported that a bullet struck the ceiling of her daughter’s room. She had awoken to gunfire and felt material falling from the ceiling.

Then, 40 minutes after the shooting, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s deputies pulled over 21-year-old Trujillo, who was driving a Nissan Maxima registered to Pena.

Deputies arrested Trujillo on an unrelated warrant, and during an inventory of the car found 800 fentanyl pills and two guns, a Glock handgun with a drum magazine and an AR pistol.

The shell casings found outside Lopez’s home were tested at APD’s crime lab, and they matched the confiscated weapons, police said.

Timeline

• On Dec. 4 around 4:41 p.m. eight shots were fired at County Commissioner Adriann Barboa’s home in SE Albuquerque. Barboa said bullets went through her front door as her family was preparing to celebrate Christmas.
  
• On Dec. 8, Rep Javier Martínez reportedly heard gunshots outside his home near the North Valley and, after the investigation was announced a month later, found damage “presumably from gunfire” to the house.
  
• On Dec. 11 in the early morning gunshots were fired at County Commissioner Debbie O’Malley’s home in the North Valley and more than 12 bullets struck the house.
  
• On Jan. 3 just after midnight, eight shots rang out at Rep. Linda Lopez’s home in SW Albuquerque. Lopez said that three bullets went through her daughter’s bedroom as the 10-year-old slept.
  

Failed GOP Candidate Arrested For Gunfire At Dem Homes - ShotSpotter assist