Florida Mom’s Chilling Plot to Kill Her 3-Year-Old Son Draws Backlash, But No Prison Time — Here’s Why

A Florida mom accused of plotting to hire a hitman to kill her three-year-old child pleaded guilty on March 23, but will avoid prison time.

Jazmin Paez, 20, reached a plea agreement with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to the following felony charges:

• Solicitation of first-degree murder

• Unlawful use of a communications device

• Tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

She previously pleaded not guilty to the same charges, according to Court TV.

In July 2023, Paez logged onto the parody website RentAHitman.com and submitted a request to have her son killed. The site’s owner, Robert Innes, alerted Florida authorities, who then launched an investigation.

Prosecutors described Paez as “ill-equipped” to care for her child. Assistant State Attorney Ayana Duncan said the child may have been the result of an incestuous relationship, stating that Paez’s biological parents are both the maternal and paternal grandparents of the child.

According to prosecutors, Paez had begun dating another man without disclosing that she had a child. When she revealed the truth, the relationship ended, which they described as “devastating” for her.

Duncan suggested the breakup may have been a motivating factor behind the alleged plot, explaining it was framed as, “Get rid of the child if you want me back.”

Court documents show Paez agreed to plead guilty after her attorney negotiated a deal with the state that allows her to avoid jail time in favor of probation.

During the hearing, Duncan highlighted Paez’s progress while on pretrial release, noting that she graduated from high school and nearly completed an associate degree in science.

“There’s something to be said about that,” Duncan told Judge Carlos Gamez, explaining the decision not to impose a harsher sentence.

Duncan added that Paez’s attorney had asked for a penalty of just youthful offender sanctions, “And the state said ‘No,’ because that wasn’t severe enough. So here’s the middle ground. You will get a withhold because maybe, just maybe, there might be a light at the end of the tunnel for this defendant.”

Paez will serve two years under strict community control, followed by 12 years of supervised probation.

She is required to undergo behavioral therapy and a full mental health evaluation, and must comply with any recommended treatment. If she violates the terms, she could face up to 40 years in prison.

Her parental rights have been terminated, and she is prohibited from having any contact with the child, who has been legally adopted by Paez’s mother.

Paez is currently living with her father.