The failed Republican candidate for the New Mexico House whom authorities believe masterminded a series of recent shootings at local Democratic officials’ homes appeared for a virtual court hearing on Wednesday afternoon, where a judge ruled that he would remain jailed until a detention hearing could be held. A date for that hearing has not been set, according to the Albuquerque Journal. Prosecutors have pushed urgently for Peña, 39, to remain behind bars until his trial. “The defendant’s actions show what lengths he is willing to go when he is dissatisfied with reality,” Assistant District Attorney John Litchford wrote in a motion obtained by Source NM. “There is no reason to believe that someone so unwilling to accept reality will give credence to court-ordered conditions of release.” In his own statement pushing for Peña’s continued detention, Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina condemned a state judicial assessment tool that the Journal reported had recommended Peña’s release. Calling it “fatally flawed,” Medina said, “We are seeing yet another example today that shows why the criminal justice system is broken.”
Here is my statement on the importance of keeping the suspect in recent shootings in jail until trial. This is why @GovMLG has legislation to reform pre-trial detention. We can’t have this uncertainty when public safety is at stake. pic.twitter.com/gMGwfWpskW
