A 20-year-old mother from Miami, Florida, who attempted to hire a hitman to kill her three-year-old child has avoided imprisonment. Jazmin Paez made the request through a satirical website in 2023, leading to serious charges including solicitation of first-degree murder and tampering with evidence. The incident, three years ago, sparked national discussions on mental health, criminal justice, and child welfare.
Paez, diagnosed with schizophrenia, confessed to submitting the request on a website named Rentahitman. Initially considered a joke, the alarming accuracy of the details prompted authorities to take action. The website, although appearing to offer hitman services, functions as a parody platform that assists in identifying genuine murder attempts.
Upon receiving Paez’s request, the website owner, Robert Innis, alerted law enforcement due to the detailed information provided, including images of the child and his precise location. Paez was apprehended in July 2023 following Robert’s report, and she recently appeared in court where she admitted to the charges.
Despite her confession, Paez received a plea deal from prosecutors, avoiding immediate incarceration. Instead, she was handed a suspended sentence, subject to strict conditions. These include two years of community service, 12 years of probation, and mandatory behavioral therapy until deemed unnecessary. Additionally, she is prohibited from contacting the child until 2040.
During legal proceedings, Paez’s schizophrenia diagnosis was considered by prosecutors, who highlighted her unsuitability as a parent. They revealed that Paez’s involvement in a relationship with a teenager, which ended when she disclosed having a child, possibly triggered her ill-fated actions. The court noted that the relationship breakup may have motivated her attempt to harm the child.
Prosecutors emphasized Paez’s parental rights were terminated, and her mental health issues were taken into account during the case. Assistant State Attorney Ayana Duncan described Paez as ill-equipped for parenting and suggested her failed relationship as a possible trigger for the criminal act.
