An 18-year-old Florida man, Gamaliel Soza, has been arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and unlawful use of a communications device. Police allege that Soza pushed another 18-year-old, Jazmin Paez, to make plans to kill her 3-year-old son.
According to Soza’s arrest warrant, he sent text messages to Paez urging her to find a way to kill her son. Paez allegedly told Soza that she had taken her son to the woods and left him there to be eaten by bears or drowned. Soza then asked for photographic proof.
Paez was previously arrested and charged with first-degree solicitation of murder and third-degree unlawful use of a communications device after allegedly attempting to hire a hitman through the parody website RentAHitman.com. The website’s administrator, Robert Innes, reported Paez’s inquiry to the police, believing it to be a genuine attempt to hire a hitman.
An officer posing as a hitman communicated with Paez, who allegedly agreed to pay $3,000 for the murder of her son. Both Soza and Paez have pleaded not guilty, according to court records.
Soza has been released on $15,000 bond and has been ordered to have no contact with the 3-year-old or anyone under 18 without supervision.
The case has drawn attention to Paez’s health problems and alleged bullying in school, as described by her father. However, the investigation and legal proceedings are focused on the alleged conspiracy to commit murder.
The website administrator, Innes, expressed gratitude that RentAHitman.com played a role in preventing a violent crime and potentially saving a life.
