Police say failed GOP candidate arrested for plotting gunfire on New Mexico Democrats’ homes

A Republican who previously ran for the New Mexico legislature and believed voter fraud had been committed has been detained on suspicion of planning recent shootings that damaged the homes of Democratic elected officials in the state, the state said. Police.

Solomon Pea, an unsuccessful candidate for the 2022 State House District 14 seat, was detained Monday by the Albuquerque Police Department on suspicion of bribing four individuals to fire at the residences of two state legislators and two district commissioners.

According to Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina, “he is suspected to be the mastermind” behind the shootings that took place in late December and early January. When CNN reached out to Pea’s campaign website for comment, it couldn’t find his attorney.

Police allege that in November, Pea approached a legislator and a few county commissioners at their residences after losing the election, claiming to have documentation showing election fraud had been committed. Albuquerque mayor Tim Keller said Monday that an investigation had found that “these shootings were definitely politically motivated.”

According to Keller, a Democrat, the worst thing you can do when you have a political dispute is turn it into violence. “Ultimately it was a right-wing fanatic, an election denier who was caught today,” Keller added. We recognize that we do not always share their political views, but that this should never escalate into violence.

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Ever since then-President Donald Trump lost his re-election campaign and began spreading lies that the 2020 presidential election was rigged, there has been a global explosion of doubt about the validity of elections, mostly among Republicans and mostly without any supporting evidence. The allegations have sparked resentment and public threats of violence against local government representatives.

Pea is being charged in connection with four shootings: a December 4 incident at the residence of Adriann Barboa, a Bernalillo County commissioner, a December 8 shooting at the residence of State House incoming speaker Javier Martinez, a shooting at December 11 at the residence of Debbie O’Malleya Commissioner of Bernalillo, and a January 3 shooting at the residence of Linda Lopez, a senator.

Republican loses election, starts shooting Democrat houses. What is the correct word for this? https://t.co/yEB1BsMlH4

— Stephen Marche (@StephenMarche) January 17, 2023

the most recent shooting, authorities discovered evidence According to Deputy Cmdr. Kyle Hartsock of the Albuquerque Police Department: “Pea himself went to this shooting and actually pulled the trigger on at least one of the firearms used.”

However, the AR gun he tried to use malfunctioned and a second gunman fired more than a dozen rounds from a different gun, according to a police press release. According to Heart sockpolice are still investigating whether those accused of carrying out the shootings “even knew who these targets were or if they were merely carrying out shootings”.

According to a press release from the Albuquerque Police Department, four residences were damaged as a result of the shootings. According to authorities, the first shooting took place at Barboa’s home. Barboa expressed her gratitude for the arrest on “CNN This Morning” on Tuesday. She stated, “I’m glad to hear he won’t be targeting individuals in this way again.”

The police said there are 5 persons involved in a plot

Pea’s opponent, Democratic state Rep. Miguel Garciafiled a lawsuit to have Pea removed from the ballot during the fall campaign, claiming that Pea’s status as an ex-felon should disqualify him from running for public office in the state, according to CNN affiliate KOAT.

After being found guilty of stealing a significant amount of merchandise in a “smash and grab scam” in 2008, Pea was sentenced to more than seven years in prison, according to the KOAT story. Pea told the magazine in September that “you can’t run from your own history.” I lacked anything other than a burning determination to change my situation in life.

Wow!
Albuquerque police on Monday arrested the man they say is the “mastermind” behind a recent string of shootings at Democratic lawmakers’ homes. The su…https://t.co/SqZAV0VLem

— Senator Hughes (@SenatorHughes) January 17, 2023

According to KOAT, a district court judge determined that Pea was qualified to run. He was defeated by Garcia by a margin of 26% to 74%, but a week later stated that he “never conceded” the match and was considering his alternatives.

“Solomon Pea reached out and hired someone to carry out at least two of these shootings for a post-election cash prize in November. Calls were made to the shooting locations, Hartsock said on Monday, citing the investigation. “In one case, the shooting happened within hours at the home of the legislator.”

According to Hartsock, the investigation was supported by evidence from firearms, security footage, cell phones and electronic records, and witnesses who were present during and around the conspiracy. These factors helped authorities connect five individuals to this conspiracy.

According to a police press release, detectives were carrying out search warrants at Pea’s apartment and the residence of two individuals who were allegedly paid by Pea on Monday. However, Pea did not cooperate with the detectives.

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According to Hartsock, Pea was detained by police on suspicion of “helping orchestrate and participate in these four shootings, either at his request or personally carrying them out.” Last week, police reported they had a suspect in custody and found a gun linked to one of the shootings at the homes of elected leaders.

According to the department, Pea was the owner of a car that drove into one of the shooting locations. Authorities had previously stated they were investigating two additional reports of gunfire that had occurred since December near the attorney general’s campaign office and a senator’s law office. According to the police, detectives no longer think that those two incidents are related to the other four.

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