Florida mother accused in murder-for-hire plot against witnesses in her son's case

LAKE WORTH, Fla. (TCD) -- A woman is in custody on suspicion of trying to hire someone to kill witnesses after her son allegedly stabbed a man to death at a 5-year-old child's birthday party.

Investigators with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office allege that Josefina Cardona-Cardona "agreed to pay an undercover agent to carry out the crime" and kill two cooperating witnesses in her child's case. Cardona-Cardona faces two counts of solicitation to commit murder. Deputies said she will be "subject to deportation following the completion of her prosecution."

Cardona-Cardona's son, Manuel Marcos Cardona, stabbed a 19-year-old man on June 18, 2022, WPTV-TV reports. Cardona was 14 years old at the time.

According to an arrest report reviewed by WPTV, two adults got into a fight at the birthday party, and the victim tried to intervene and stop the physical altercation. Cardona stabbed the victim several times, and Cardona and his parents allegedly continued to beat the victim. The man died the following day.

WPTV reports that Cardona and his family tried to escape to North Carolina on June 21, 2022, but the Brevard County Sheriff's Office stopped their car before they could flee the state.

Cardona, who was charged as an adult, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, according to WPTV. Cardona could have faced life in prison, but he took the plea deal instead.

MORE: