A woman in Florida is accused of trying to arrange a murder-for-hire with a man who turned out to be an undercover agent to kill two witnesses in her teenage son’s murder trial, whom she blamed for sending him to prison.
Josefina Cardona-Cardona, 43, was arrested on Monday and faces two counts of solicitation, online court records show. She could also be deported, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Court documents say she entered the U.S. illegally from Guatemala.
The case stems from the prosecution of her son, Miguel Marcos Cardona, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 10 years in prison for fatally stabbing a 19-year-old man who tried to break up a fight at a 5-year-old child’s birthday party on June 18, 2022, court record show. Miguel Marcos Cardona was 14 years old at the time of the killing but was tried as an adult.
Authorities said they learned in April of this year that his mother had allegedly been arranging to try to have two witnesses from that case killed.
An affidavit details allegations beginning on April 17, when detectives responded to a sheriff’s office substation about a murder-for-hire investigation. There, a confidential informant told investigators a woman identified as “Maria” was inquiring about hiring someone for murder, the affidavit said.
“Maria” gave the informant her cellphone number and said she’d provide information about potential targets at a meeting the next day, on April 18, the affidavit said.
Through the phone number, police quickly identified “Maria” as Cardona-Cardona and learned her son was arrested and charged on July 19, 2022. He is currently housed in the Florida Department of Corrections.
On April 18, the suspect allegedly met with the agent in his vehicle. She allegedly described the circumstances of her son’s arrest, saying her son had gone to a party where the party’s hosts conspired against him, resulting in his being sent to prison, the affidavit said.
She allegedly showed the agent a photo of the two would-be targets. She said she wanted “Alonso” and” Catalina” murdered, the document said. “Maria” told the agent she wanted “Alonso” killed first and said she’d pay $4,000 for each hit, the affidavit said.
When the agent said he could make the murder appear like an accident or a robbery, “Maria” told the agent to use the “best method in murdering/killing them,” court documents said.
She had one request for her supposed hitman — “shoot ‘Alonso’ in the body so it can be painful, where ‘Alonso’ could think about it because a mother shouldn’t be without her son,” the affidavit said she told the agent. She allegedly said she’d contact family in Guatemala for money to help with the cost of the hits.
The two discussed keeping it a secret, and “Maria” placed her finger against her lips, indicating quiet, according to the affidavit. The two agreed to meet later, when “Maria” could give the undercover agent more information on the intended targets and an update on the money coming from Guatemala.
Days later, the agent picked up “Maria” and drove to an apartment complex in Lake Worth Beach, where she allegedly pointed out “Alonso’s” unit and identified his gray sedan parked in front, court documents said.
When the agent asked about money, she said she and her family were working out the details before she directed the agent to where the other intended target lived.
On Monday night, the agent picked up Cardona-Cardona at her residence. She was arrested after allegedly agreeing to a collateral payment of a $100 gold chain, the affidavit said.
The post ‘Shoot ‘Alonso’ in the body so it can be painful’: Mother offered $100 gold chain to undercover agent as collateral to kill 2 witnesses who sent her son to prison for murder, police say first appeared on Law & Crime.
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Author: Jason Kandel
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