ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A case of shootings at lawmaker homes and officers unraveled after a man was arrested during a traffic stop in January. A decision has been made to keep him behind bars until his trial.
Jose Trujillo was pulled over by a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office (BSCO) deputy for having expired tags early in the morning on January 3. He was arrested on an active warrant for stalking his ex-girlfriend and for having nearly 900 fentanyl pills, more than $3,000, and two guns.
Trujillo told police he borrowed the car from failed GOP candidate Solomon Peña, and bullet casings from one of the guns matched the casings picked up outside of Senator Linda Lopez’s house, who had reported someone had shot at her home.
Investigators claimed Peña paid Jose Trujillo and his father, Demetrio Trujillo, to carry out the shootings that targeted political figures in the state.
While being transported to Metropolitan Detention Center, Trujillo had a political discussion with one of BCSO’s deputies.
BCSO is holding an advisory and review board meeting next Friday at 1 p.m. They plan to have a public discussion on what their deputy said during his interaction with Trujillo.
Meanwhile, a judge ruled Trujillo to stay behind bars on the drugs and weapon charges. He has not been charged in connection to Peña’s case, but police said charges could be filed.
Jose’s father, Demetrio Trujillo, was supposed to be in court Friday for an arraignment hearing in connection to a stolen car case. However, he didn’t show up.
Trujillo was arrested back in January. Authorities alleged he was found in a stolen truck with drugs inside.
The judge issued a bench warrant for Demetrio Trujillo’s arrest. He has not been charged in connection to Solomon Peña’s case.
