Failed Republican candidate Solomon Peña accused of trying to have co-defendants killed

Authorities say a failed Republican candidate who conspired to shoot up local politicians’ homes is now accused of trying to hire someone to kill his accomplices.

On Tuesday, a federal grand jury indicted Solomon Peña, 40, on three counts of solicitation to commit a crime of violence and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

The indictment doesn’t name the people Peña allegedly wanted to have killed or the two people he asked to kill them. Three separate murder-for-hire requests allegedly were made by Peña, the first between June 7 and June 30, 2023, and two more between Sept. 22 and Feb. 2, 2024.

Peña was behind bars during those times.

Elizabeth Honce, Peña’s defense attorney, said Peña is being accused of trying to hire someone to kill his co-defendants, Demetrio Trujillo, 42, and Trujillo’s son, Jose Louise Trujillo, 23.

She called the new charges ludicrous, nonsensical and made-up. She added that they have been given no evidence to support the charges.

Furthermore, Honce said, she is in charge of Peña’s finances.

“If he’s putting hits out on somebody... I would have to pay the hit man, wouldn’t I? And if you think I’m going to pay a hit man, you’re nuts,” she said.

Honce said Peña maintained his innocence and “is just waiting for his day in court.”

In the indictment filed in U.S. District Court, authorities say Peña sought to kill two people “expected to testify in an official proceeding.” No other details about the allegations were given in the indictment.

Earlier this year, prosecutors offered a plea deal to Demetrio and Jose Trujillo, and both pleaded guilty to several felonies, including conspiracy, election interference and using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence.

Both men and Peña were arrested in early 2023, accused in drive-by shootings targeting the homes of Bernalillo County Commissioners Adriann Barboa and Debbie O’Malley; state Rep. Javier Martínez; and state Sen. Linda Lopez.

Prior to that, Peña had lost a November 2022 run for a New Mexico House seat by nearly 50 percentage points. Authorities say Peña then took aim at the Bernalillo County commissioners who certified the results and other Democratic lawmakers.

Nobody was injured in the four shootings, which occurred between Dec. 4 and Jan. 3. The bullets did damage the politicians’ homes, and some flew into Lopez’s daughter’s bedroom as the 10-year-old slept.

Authorities say Peña began collecting the addresses of the politicians in November 2022 and sending them to his accomplices, who helped Peña gather firearms and stolen vehicles to be used in the shootings.

Within an hour of the shooting at Lopez’s home, Jose Trujillo was pulled over in Peña’s car by Bernalillo County deputies, according to authorities. The deputies found drugs and cash in the car along with two guns — one that matched the bullets fired into Lopez’s home.