Jazmin Paez was spared jail after trying to get her son killed (Image: CBS Miami)
A 20 year old mother who attempted to hire a hitman to murder her three year old child has avoided a prison sentence. Jazmin Paez submitted a request to a satirical website, enquiring if her son could be killed in 2023.
Paez, from Miami, Florida, was potentially facing up to 40 years behind bars after she confessed to solicitation of first-degree murder, unlawful use of a communications device, and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. The incident caused a stir across the US three years ago, igniting a significant debate about mental health, criminal justice and child protection.
Paez was arrested in 2023 (Image: Miami Dade Corrections)
This followed Paez, who is reportedly diagnosed with schizophrenia, admitting to submitting a request to a website named Rentahitman. Initially perceived as a joke, concerns were escalated to the authorities due to the precision of the information provided, reports Notias Caracol.
The website, seemingly offering a genuine hitman service, is actually a parody. However, its owner claims it has evolved into a reliable tool for detecting real attempts to commit murder.
This is because the owner forwards anything he suspects to be a credible request to law enforcement. Paez submitted the request while providing photos of the child and the exact location where he could be located.
The situation led website owner Robert Innis to notify the authorities. In an interview with NBC6 Miami, he stated: “The ability to investigate names and addresses and verify that the target person lived at a specific address seems like a red flag to me. If that information is corroborated, it’s something that needs to be investigated, and that’s why I referred it.”
Bob Innes (Image: CBS Miami)
Paez was apprehended in July 2023 following information provided to the police by Robert. CourtTV reports that she made her court appearance last week.
Despite confessing to the crimes, prosecutors offered her a plea deal that prevented an immediate prison sentence. Instead, she received a suspended sentence, meaning she will avoid being registered as a felon if she adheres to the set conditions.
She will be required to complete two years of community service, serve 12 years on probation, and undergo compulsory behavioural therapy “until it is no longer deemed necessary”. She is also prohibited from contacting the child until 2040.
The court was informed that Paez has already lost her parental rights to the child. It is reported that her schizophrenia diagnosis was taken into account during the legal proceedings.
Assistant State Attorney Ayana Duncan described Paez as being “ill-equipped” for parenthood and revealed that she had started another relationship with a teenager in 2023. However, when she disclosed that she had a child, the relationship ended, leaving her “devastated”.
He suggested this “may have been the catalyst or impetus for even trying to carry out this plot”. He further stated that “essentially it was ‘Get rid of the child if you want me back.'”
