An 18-year-old woman from Miami is facing charges of solicitation of murder and unlawful use of a communications device after allegedly attempting to hire a hitman to kill her 3-year-old son. The woman appeared before a Miami-Dade County judge on Wednesday following her arrest.
According to a report by the Miami-Dade police, the woman visited a parody hit-for-hire website, which was actually designed to assist law enforcement. She allegedly sought to have her son taken away and killed, offering a payment of $3,000. The report stated that her motive for hiring a hitman was to “get something done once and for all.”
During her contact with the website, the woman provided the hitman with the address where her son lived with his grandmother, a recent photo of the child, and her own phone number. The man who operates the website promptly contacted the Miami-Dade police, who then initiated an investigation. Detectives were able to track down the woman on Tuesday using the IP address and phone number provided.
To protect the child’s identity, the woman’s name is being withheld by the Associated Press. Detectives spoke with the boy’s grandmother, who revealed that her daughter had moved out in May. The grandmother confirmed that the child still resided with her and that his mother would regularly FaceTime him. She also admitted to taking the photo of the boy, which was later posted on the hitman website, and sending it to her daughter.
The woman was apprehended at her father’s residence on Tuesday and reportedly confessed to the crime, although the full statement was redacted when released to the media. During her court appearance, the woman claimed to have never received treatment for any mental health condition. Her bond was set at $15,000, and she was released from police custody on Thursday. The judge also ordered her not to have any contact with her son, who will continue to stay with his grandmother.