New Mexico: Losing Republican Candidate Indicted for Shooting at Democrats Homes, Offices

Republican candidate Solomon Pena ran for the New Mexico State House of Representatives last November and lost to his Democrat opponent by a landslide. Believing Donald Trump's claims that the elections were stolen, he took it upon himself to shoot at Democrats, and he was arrested for it.

Now, the newbie Republican politician has been indicted by a New Mexico grand jury for his crimes, including hiring criminals to shoot at the homes and offices of elected Democratic officials.

According to KOB-4, his list of charges includes three counts of criminal solicitation to commit shooting at a dwelling or occupied building, three counts of shooting at a dwelling or occupied building, two counts of conspiracy to commit shooting at a dwelling or occupied building, two counts of unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, and one count each for Shooting at a dwelling or occupied building, attempt to commit a felony, to wit: aggravated battery, and receipt, transportation, or possession of a firearm or destructive device by certain persons.

Solomon Pena Got Handily Defeated by Democrat Opponent but Still Claimed To Have Been Cheated

Pena has been an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump and has been seen proudly wearing Trump merchandise and adhering to Trump's various rhetoric. This includes the "Big Lie," which is Trump claiming that he won the election and that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.

As such, Pena believed the former president and mirrored his claims that the ballot boxes and voting machines have been tampered with, and he claimed this without presenting any evidence of such, much like Trump himself.

According to the Huffington Post, Pena ran as the state Representative for New Mexico's 14th District. However, he lost to Democrat Miguel Garcia by over 47 points in a landslide victory for his Democratic opponent. Despite this and the lack of evidence, he still claims the results were fraudulent.

This led to the series of shootings that started last December, at the home of Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa. He shot up the homes or offices of other elected Democrats, before finally shooting at the home of State Senator Linda Lopez on January 3. The attack hit the room of Lopez's 3-year-old child but nobody was injured.

Pena was previously imprisoned and his past has been put into question before. However, the New Mexico Republican Party did not seem to mind and still let him run as their candidate.

Solomon Pena's Attacks Make New Mexico Solons Think About New Laws Protecting Lawmakers

Last week, a New Mexico judge ordered Pena to be held in custody without bond given the severity of his crimes, as well as his criminal past.

He was arrested on January 9 thanks to a combination of cellphone and vehicle records, witness interviews, and bullet casings that authorities found at the victims' homes, according to the Associated Press.

However, Pena did not do the act alone, as he hired four men, including a father and son duo and two other unidentified men to attack Democrats. This was enough for some New Mexico lawmakers to propose new laws for their safety.

During a legislative session, New Mexico state representatives are now considering a measure that would not reveal the home addresses of elected officials. They are also debating if they should make it harder for people accused of violent crimes to make bail.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Key suspect in shootings at elected officials' homes, Solomon Peña indicted - KRQE