HOUSTON – A woman has been arrested in connection with an alleged murder-for-hire case involving her husband in Montgomery County.
Maria De Lourdes Sosa, of Spring, is charged with solicitation of murder. The 41-year-old was arrested Thursday.
"We knew she had a little bit of a temper, kind of snappy," Paul Nieuwoudt said.
Law enforcement officers spent hours serving a search warrant at Woodlands Boxing and Fitness, the business Maria Sosa and her husband, Ramon Rafael Sosa, own. Nieuwoudt and his family own the property.
Deputies said Maria Sosa told an acquaintance about her plan. That person called police.
"The person she contacted was alarmed, notified us and we took action from there," said Chief Deputy Matt Rodrigue, with the Precinct 3 Constable's Office.
The Precinct 3 Constables Office along with the Texas Department of Public Safety and other law enforcement agencies set up a sting operation to catch Maria Sosa.
"Making sure that Maria Sosa's husband is still alive today because we believe without a doubt that she wanted her husband murdered," said Kelly Blackburn, trial bureau chief for the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.
A DPS agent posed as a hit man and met with Maria Sosa in an Academy parking lot July 20.
According to the affidavit, the undercover deputy specifically asked Maria Sosa if she wanted him to just "beat him up," and Maria Sosa said to him, "No, I want him dead. He is better use to me dead."
Maria Sosa also agreed to pay the undercover agent $2,000 and give him her husband's truck after the murder was completed.
According to the agent, Maria Sosa also told him the best time to attack her husband was when he leaves for work in the morning.
A few days later, Sosa met with the undercover agent again and gave him the final payment after seeing a staged photograph of Ramon Sosa depicting his murder.
"I am surprised it went this far. I mean, we knew they were going to get a divorce, we knew there was money troubles, back and forth. I still can't believe this," Nieuwoudt said.
Bond has been set at $1 million.