Ex-GOP candidate arrested in shootings at homes of Democratic New Mexico elected officials - CBS News

Albuquerque constabulary arrested a erstwhile Republican authorities House campaigner successful transportation with recent shootings astatine the homes of Democratic lawmakers.

At a quality league connected Monday night, Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina announced that Solomon Pena, 39, was successful constabulary custody pursuing a SWAT standoff successful Southwest Albuquerque Monday afternoon. 

"It is believed that helium is the mastermind down this and that was organizing this," Medina told reporters successful beforehand of a projected representation of Pena wearing a reddish hoodie that reads "Make America Great Again" successful beforehand of 2 Trump flags. 

"We are precise grateful that we were capable to get this idiosyncratic into custody and to hopefully bring a small alleviation to those that were affected and each of our lawmakers, particularly with authorities legislature starting tomorrow," Medina said. 

Pena is accused of conspiring with and paying 4 different men to sprout astatine the homes of 2 region commissioners and 2 authorities legislators, constabulary said. 

Investigators said that 5 radical were progressive successful the conspiracy and that Pena was straight progressive successful the last shooting. Evidence against Pena includes firearms, compartment telephone and physics records, surveillance footage and aggregate witnesses, investigators said. 

The probe into the shootings is inactive ongoing. 

Pena's apprehension comes aft an unidentified fishy believed to beryllium linked to astatine slightest 1 of the shootings was successful taken into custody past week.

The shootings began successful aboriginal December erstwhile 8 rounds were fired astatine the location of Bernalillo County Commissioner Adriann Barboa, constabulary said. Days later, authorities Rep. Javier Martinez's location was targeted, and a week aft the archetypal shooting, idiosyncratic changeable astatine erstwhile Bernalillo County Commissioner Debbie O'Malley's home, constabulary said.

Multiple shots besides were fired astatine the location of authorities Sen. Linda Lopez — a pb sponsor of a 2021 measure that reversed New Mexico's prohibition connected astir termination procedures — and successful a downtown country wherever authorities Sen. Moe Maestas' bureau is located. Maestas, an attorney, co-sponsored a measure past twelvemonth to acceptable caller transgression penalties for threatening authorities and section judges. It didn't pass.

No 1 was deed successful immoderate of the shootings, authorities said.