3rd Man Charged In Murder For Hire Plot, Mastermind Stays Jailed: Cops

WAUKEGAN, IL — A Lake County judge on Tuesday ordered the Waukegan man accused of paying someone to kill a former romantic partner to remain behind bars while awaiting trial. Two other men charged in her death are awaiting detention hearings.

Seferino Calihua-Rodriguez, 35, faces charges of solicitation of murder for hire, first-degree murder and attempted murder in the death of a North Chicago woman, who has yet to be publicly identified because the Lake County Coroner's Office has been unable to contact her next-of-kin.

Numerous witnesses told investigators that the slain woman had been having problems with her jealous ex since around May, according to prosecutors. One co-worker of the woman said Calihua-Rodriguez always trying to get the woman's contact information and find out her work schedule.

On the morning of the shooting, the victim had just gotten into the passenger seat of a car about to get a ride to work, authorities said. A woman who was with her narrowly avoided getting shot because she ducked while putting items in the back seat — a bullet hole was found through the center of the driver's seat.

Assistant State's Attorney Jeff Faclum said the Calihua-Rodriguez and the accused hitman, Misael Chavarin-Plazola, engaged in a series of text messages discussing the planning and execution of the killing.

There was apparently some disagreement between the two Waukegan residents regarding how much Calihua-Rodriguez agreed to pay. While Chavarin-Plazola he believed he was promised $7,000, Calihua-Rodriguez said he thought they agreed on $6,000, according to Faclum.

And one of the witnesses who spoke to investigators recalled overhearing a conversation between the two back in July, the prosecutor said.

"They discussed specific amounts, and she believes a $1,200 payment was made, or was going to be made, to plan the killing," Faclum said.

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By the end of the summer, Calihua-Rodriguez had become impatient because Chavarin-Plazola had not held up his end of their deadly deal, according to records of the messages described by the prosecutor.

"Let me borrow the gun, I'll take care of it," Calihua-Rodriguez said in a text on Sept. 15, a week before the killing.

Three days before the woman was shot to death, Calihua-Rodriguez mentions wanting a refund, Faclum said, paraphrasing the message.

"Get it tomorrow. I paid you a little and gave you a car," he said. "You better do it. I want my money back."

On the morning of the shooting, video from the neighborhood shows a black Cadillac driving slowly in the area before the shooting with its lights off and speeding away after the sound of gunfire, according to the prosecutor.

Investigators identified the car using license plate readers and spoke to its registered owner, Rosalio Diaz Zarate, who claimed that he had loaned it to Chavarin-Plazola at about 4 a.m. the morning of the shooting.

Diaz Zarate remained jailed Wednesday following an initial court appearance. Chavarin-Plazola was due to have a detention hearing Tuesday, but Lake County public defenders sought and received a delay in order to avoid a conflict of interest while representing co-defendants.

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Additionally, Faclum said location data from Chavarin-Plazola's cell phone showed he was nearby at the time of the shooting, and made multiple calls to the victim's ex immediately afterwards, including one text message about 50 minutes after the homicide that said, "Both girls are dead."

Prosecutors contended Chavarin-Plazola — who was booked by the Texas Border Patrol for illegal re-entry in 2020 — is a flight risk and a threat to the community.

"There probably is not a more clear case of someone who represents a danger, not only to any witnesses who came forward in this case and the surviving victim, but the community at large," Faclum said.

Lake County Associate Judge Theodore Potkonjak agreed.

"Because he's here illegally, and if he was not detained, the court has a hard time believing he wouldn't be south of the border pretty darn quick," Potkonjak said. "There's no conditions, whatsoever, that could assure that he would be present and is not a threat."

Read More: Ex Charged With Murder-For-Hire In Slaying Of North Chicago Woman