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How NOT to Hire a Hitman - Season 1 - Episode 05: Paco
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00:10A couple's American dream in shatters.
00:13The Sosa's have always been passionate about their marriage.
00:17Now they're passionate about their divorce.
00:20A killer a little too close to home.
00:23Living in the same house as someone you know for a fact is trying to have you killed is not
00:28normal.
00:29It's enough to make anyone paranoid.
00:31And a hitman straight out of a movie.
00:34On the streets, he's so admired and feared that someone paints a giant mural of him two stories high.
00:48In the heart of the Houston, Texas suburb of the Woodlands,
00:52a popular Mexican restaurant transforms into an after-hours dance floor.
00:58The sound of the dinner rush replaced by the rhythm of salsa and the clink of tequila glasses.
01:04Houston has the fourth largest Hispanic and Latino population in the United States.
01:08And pop-up clubs like this one can attract a big crowd.
01:14Ramon Sosa is a first-time patron.
01:19Ramon is a divorced, single guy looking to have a good time.
01:25This club was recommended to him as a great place for Latin music, dancing, and a chance to meet someone.
01:34Across the room, a stunning lady catches Ramon's eye.
01:39Lulu Durantes is a beautiful woman in her early 30s, and she's clearly having a good time, dancing up a
01:46storm.
01:47Unfortunately for Ramon, it's with another man.
01:52Ramon is trying to figure out how to introduce himself to Lulu when she starts walking towards him.
02:00But as she passes by, she accidentally steps on his foot with one of her six-inch heels.
02:10It's not the smoothest MeCute ever.
02:13Lulu is very apologetic about almost impaling Ramon with her stiletto.
02:18And Ramon has the good sense to ignore the pain and ask the beautiful woman to dance.
02:23They spend the next several hours together on the dance floor, enjoying each other's company.
02:29The couple has an instant connection, bonding over their mutual attraction and their shared immigrant experience.
02:38Ramon was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, and came to the U.S. with his family as a young teen.
02:45In Puerto Rico, his father worked in a gym, and he would often bring Ramon along to watch boxing matches.
02:52Boxing is known as the sweet science, and to young Ramon, nothing was sweeter.
02:59People refer to boxing as the sweet science because it's actually a very strategic sport.
03:05On the surface, it may appear that it's just two people throwing punches at each other.
03:10But in reality, there's a very psychological aspect to it.
03:15Boxers need to find that balance between being able to hit their opponent and avoiding getting hit themselves.
03:22It's more difficult than it appears.
03:25As a teenager, Ramon fought over 150 amateur boxing matches before turning pro, when he was only 17.
03:36Ultimately, he realizes his true passion lies in training other boxers.
03:41Throughout the 1990s, Ramon trained professional fighters, rubbing shoulders with the who's who of the boxing world,
03:49on trips to Las Vegas and the Playboy Mansion.
03:53Eventually, Ramon wanted to use his skills to give back to the community, the same way that boxing had helped
03:59him as a child.
04:00So he opened a gym in Houston to teach boxing to disadvantaged youth.
04:06Now, in 2007, Ramon has been divorced for several years.
04:11He has three teenage children who live with their mother, and he's ready to dive back into the world of
04:17dating.
04:20Lulu Durantes is from Mexico.
04:23She had a difficult marriage to a much older man who was abusive.
04:30After their divorce, she packed up her two kids and moved across the border to Houston, where her sister lives.
04:37Lulu is in the United States on a visitor visa.
04:41So technically, she's not allowed to work.
04:44But like many new immigrants, she finds odd jobs, working as a masseuse or a cleaning lady to make ends
04:51meet.
04:52Now, in 2007, Lulu is enjoying a much-needed night on the town, when she meets the handsome boxer and
05:00sparks fly.
05:02Ramon and Lulu dance to the song, Brujeria.
05:06It's Ramon's favorite.
05:08It means witchcraft, and it becomes their song.
05:13Ramon and Lulu have both been stung by love in the past, and they know that finding someone you click
05:19with is a rare gift.
05:21They're both consenting adults and enjoy each other's company.
05:26Their relationship progresses very quickly.
05:30Ramon and Lulu start seeing each other regularly.
05:34As a girlfriend, Lulu is very attentive.
05:37She puts her massage skills to use, giving him rubdowns.
05:41She gives him mani-pedis.
05:43She makes sure he's always fed and always has a full glass in his hand.
05:49For Ramon, it's a dream come true.
05:56Ramon has a very busy life.
05:59But Lulu is able to fit right in.
06:02Ramon works a day job at FedEx, and then he runs an after-school program, which is a non-profit,
06:09called Young Prospects Boxing.
06:11The program takes in troubled youth and teaches them the mental and physical skills needed to be a boxer.
06:20Crime rates among young men can be high, especially in heavily urban areas like Houston.
06:27A program like Young Prospects Boxing is exactly the kind of program that there should be more of.
06:32A community-oriented program that gives kids a positive place to put their energy.
06:38Young Prospects Boxing keeps Ramon occupied and takes him away on most weekends.
06:45Lulu is supportive of Ramon's passion for boxing and his youth program, despite how busy it keeps him.
06:54It doesn't take long for him to realize that she's the one.
07:02Just before Christmas in 2008, after dating for a year and a half, Ramon proposes to Lulu.
07:17During the first year of their marriage, the Sosas open a new boxing and fitness gym together in Spring, Texas.
07:25It can be challenging for a couple to work together, but Ramon and Lulu's business is a big success.
07:32Lulu pours all her energy into the new gym.
07:36She does all the bookkeeping while Ramon trains the clients.
07:40And eventually, she becomes a trainer herself.
07:44Within a few years, their gym averages 200 clients a month and $20,000 in monthly profits.
07:51The gym's success allows the Sosas to step up their lifestyle.
07:56Two-story house, clothes, cars, watches.
08:06They're living the American dream they'd both been chasing.
08:10Lulu's American dream extends to her entire family.
08:15Now that they are married, Ramon sponsors Lulu for citizenship, along with her two teenage children and her mother.
08:23The process takes about three years to complete.
08:26But once Lulu has her green card, she no longer has to worry about working legally in the United States.
08:36But the blissful new life the Sosas enjoy doesn't stay blissful for long.
08:43By 2015, Lulu is complaining to her friends that Ramon has become lazy and is neglecting their business.
08:51She's working hard every day, but he's barely willing to leave the house and go to work.
08:57Lulu is frustrated that Ramon drinks too much.
09:01He's become abusive, grabbing her and pushing her.
09:05She even tells her friends that he has forced himself on her.
09:09He has a temper, and at one point he punches the door so hard in anger that it cracks.
09:16Ramon's a strong guy.
09:17He's a boxer, which makes having a temper in a domestic situation even more serious.
09:24Too often, police aren't alerted to this type of escalating danger in a marriage until it's too late.
09:31Afraid for her safety and the safety of her two children,
09:35Lulu files for divorce in March 2015.
09:40Lulu wants out of the marriage as quickly as possible.
09:44She gives her divorce attorney photos of scratches on her arms and legs from Ramon manhandling her.
09:51And a photo of the door he destroyed.
09:55Remarkably, Ramon and Lulu continue to live in the same house as their divorce drags on.
10:01But they do move to separate floors.
10:05While a situation like this might be necessary for financial reasons or while there's kids involved,
10:12overall, it's a situation that can be fraught with potential danger.
10:16Domestic fights can be shockingly brutal and violent.
10:22Eventually, the SOSA's divorce hearing date is set for July 22, 2015.
10:29But before that date arrives, one of them will be lying in a shallow grave.
10:43What begins as a chance encounter on a dance floor in Houston, Texas
10:48soon blossoms into a whirlwind romance.
10:53Ramon and Lulu's shared passion leads them to the altar
11:01But their American dream takes a dark turn.
11:06By 2015, the SOSA's marriage devolves into a powder keg of accusations,
11:12with allegations of abuse and alcoholism flying faster than Ramon's right hook.
11:24As their divorce looms, former boxer Ramon finds himself on permanent knockout.
11:31By late June of 2015, the SOSA's marriage has completely fallen apart.
11:38Lulu has filed for divorce, and they're living on separate floors in their house
11:42as they await their July 22 divorce hearing.
11:46But Lulu isn't that keen on waiting.
11:49She decides to take matters into her own hands.
11:55One day at the gym, Lulu and her 16-year-old daughter spot a familiar face
12:01with some dangerous connections.
12:05The two women recognize a man who's working out at the gym.
12:09They know him as someone with ties to hitmen down in Mexico.
12:17Most people would steer clear in that situation.
12:20But for Lulu, it's a lightbulb moment.
12:24In hushed tones, Lulu wonders if this might be a solution to her problem.
12:31It's not uncommon in ethnic communities to find a general distrust of the authorities and the legal system.
12:39Sometimes, that leads to actions taken outside the law.
12:43Lulu isn't satisfied waiting for her divorce hearing.
12:47The tension in the house had already boiled over
12:50when an altercation between Ramon and her son two weeks earlier had turned violent.
12:57Ramon tried to repossess his stepson's truck.
13:00But as they argued, the kid decided to record the confrontation on his cell phone.
13:06Tempers ran high.
13:07And the confrontation ended with Ramon's fist connecting with the teen's face.
13:12And Ramon receiving a citation for assault.
13:17Now, Lulu is looking to make their separation a little more permanent.
13:24When Lulu says to her daughter a hitman might be the solution to her Ramon problem,
13:30she doesn't realize that someone else is listening.
13:34But the next day, a man from the gym named Mundo approaches her.
13:39Mundo confesses that he overheard her conversation about a hitman and is curious.
13:47Mundo is a former gang leader who grew up on the streets of Houston's notorious East Side.
13:54It's an area rife with organized crime.
13:58Mundo joined a gang when he was 12.
14:00He survived several stabbings, six gunshot wounds,
14:04and had spent several years in prison for a violent felony charge.
14:10Gang involvement isn't something someone can completely walk away from.
14:14Lulu knows Mundo is the real deal.
14:17So she spills the beans about Ramon's abuse.
14:20She tells Mundo she wants her husband to disappear.
14:25Mundo wants to make sure they're on the same page.
14:28He says, disappear?
14:30What do you mean disappear?
14:32And he makes a gun sign with his hand.
14:35With a simple gesture, Mundo gets the confirmation he's looking for.
14:40Mundo knows just the guy for the job.
14:43He tells Lulu he's sure his buddy Paco will help her out.
14:47For a price.
14:49When a person is used to being around violence, they often see violence as the first viable option.
14:57It can be shockingly simple for someone who's involved in the world of gangs or organized crime to arrange a
15:03murder for hire.
15:05Something that an average person might have no idea how to accomplish can be as simple as a phone call
15:11away for somebody like Mundo.
15:16And just like that, Lulu and Paco begin negotiating the terms of her husband's murder.
15:22With Mundo acting as a middleman.
15:26Mundo negotiates the specifics via text messages on Lulu's behalf.
15:32Paco wants cash.
15:34Lulu only wants to pay $2,000.
15:37So Lulu offers jewelry and Ramon's truck to sweeten the deal.
15:42She goes through Ramon's watches and tells Mundo to throw some of those in as well.
15:48Lulu isn't shy about her motives.
15:50For Lulu, this is a retirement plan.
15:53She sees Ramon's pension and life insurance as her ticket to Easy Street.
15:58But there is a ticking clock.
16:00The hit needs to happen before the July 22nd divorce hearing.
16:04Or Lulu's payday will go to Ramon's kids instead.
16:09With the deadline looming, Paco kicks the plan into high gear.
16:15On July 2nd, Paco texts Mundo that he's bought a 9mm gun to carry out the hit.
16:22But it cost him $200, so he wants a down payment.
16:27Paco is not the kind of guy you want to keep waiting or piss off.
16:33So Lulu ponies up $100 to seal the deal.
16:37Handing over the actual cash takes the plot to a whole new level.
16:42It's hard to backtrack and say you didn't mean it when you've actually made the payment.
16:47She's now guilty of criminal solicitation to commit murder.
16:51Over the next few weeks, Lulu, Mundo, and Paco fine-tune the details of their plan.
16:57With Lulu growing increasingly antsy as her deadline approaches.
17:07On July 20th, Lulu finally meets Paco face-to-face.
17:13Paco wants to meet at night in a parking lot near the gym.
17:17He needs to know that this whole thing is real before he carries out the hit.
17:22Paco asks Lulu straight up if she wants him to beat Ramon up.
17:28But she answers,
17:30No, I want him dead.
17:32He's more used to me dead.
17:35That's all Paco needs to hear.
17:38Now it's really on.
17:41Lulu gives Paco several watches and some jewelry to show him that she's serious.
17:46She then drives to an ATM, withdraws $500 in cash,
17:52and brings it back to Paco and gives it to him as a first installment.
18:00Lulu even shares a useful tip to help Paco pull off the job.
18:08Lulu knows that Ramon is a strong guy and not easily overpowered.
18:13Because of that, she recommends to Paco to grab Ramon first thing in the morning
18:17as he's leaving the house.
18:20That's when he'll have his guard down.
18:26The next day, one day before the scheduled divorce hearing,
18:30Ramon fails to show up at work.
18:33The following day, Paco reaches out to Lulu.
18:36The job is done,
18:38and he wants to meet at 9 p.m.
18:40before he leaves town the next day.
18:45That night,
18:47Lulu climbs into Paco's car
18:49in the same parking lot
18:50near the Sosa's gym.
18:56As calmly and straightforwardly as though he was ordering a sandwich,
19:01Paco tells Lulu that he grabbed Ramon first thing in the morning
19:05as he was leaving for work,
19:06just as she told him to.
19:08As proof that the hit has been carried out,
19:11he shows Lulu photos of Ramon's dead body on his phone.
19:19To the average person,
19:21seeing a dead body can be upsetting.
19:23But to Paco, it's no big deal.
19:26Just an average day.
19:27And to Lulu,
19:28it doesn't seem to be upsetting at all.
19:31The sight of her husband lying dead
19:33from a bullet wound to the head
19:35makes her smile.
19:37When Paco describes how Ramon begged for his life,
19:40Lulu laughs.
19:42Lulu and Paco hash out the remaining payments.
19:45She hands over another grand
19:47as the next installment.
19:50They shake on it,
19:52and she leaves.
19:53Lulu's troubles are six feet under,
19:56and she couldn't be happier.
19:59Paco's photos show Ramon lying dead
20:02in a shallow grave.
20:04His hands are tied behind his back,
20:06and blood runs down his face
20:08from a bullet wound to his temple.
20:11But the photos don't show what happens next.
20:13As Paco finishes his proof-of-death photoshoot,
20:17he puts down his phone and speaks to his victim.
20:20We're done, Mr. Sosa.
20:22You can get up now.
20:28Lulu dances her way into Ramon Sosa's heart.
20:33But when the passion in their relationship shifts
20:36from friendly to fiery,
20:39the couple heads for divorce.
20:44Preferring to be the wealthy widow Sosa
20:46instead of the ex,
20:48Lulu hires a hitman to take out her husband
20:51before their divorce is finalized.
20:55Former gangbanger Mundo connects Lulu with a street thug
20:59named Paco,
21:00who does the deed for two grand and some bling.
21:07Paco's photos show Ramon lying dead in a shallow grave.
21:13His hands are tied behind his back.
21:15Blood runs down his face
21:17from a bullet wound to his temple.
21:20Lulu's troubles are six feet under
21:23and she couldn't be happier.
21:25But all is not what it seems
21:27when a dead Ramon suddenly opens his eyes.
21:36Ramon first suspects something is amiss
21:39in his marriage in early 2015
21:41when he notices something fishy
21:43about the gym's finances.
21:45The gym is full of new clients,
21:48but their bank account
21:49doesn't seem to be keeping up.
21:51Ramon is no slouch.
21:53He juggles his day job at FedEx,
21:55his young prospect's boxing program,
21:58as well as his gym.
22:00But when it comes to the books,
22:02he relies on his wife to keep the ball rolling.
22:07Either Lulu's a terrible bookkeeper
22:09or something else just isn't adding up.
22:12The mystery of the missing money
22:14is solved on March 12th
22:16when Lulu files for divorce
22:18and Ramon realizes
22:19she's been funneling cash
22:21to a divorce lawyer.
22:26Now, the former boxer
22:28is in for the fight of his life.
22:31The Sosas have always been passionate
22:33about their marriage.
22:34Now, they're passionate about their divorce.
22:38The photos that Lulu shows her lawyer
22:40of scratches allegedly left on her body
22:44by her husband's brutality
22:45are just the tip of the iceberg.
22:49As the Sosas' divorce heats up,
22:52Lulu is determined to paint Ramon
22:54as the villain
22:55and turn public opinion against him.
23:01Lulu stages photos of Ramon
23:04surrounded by empty bottles
23:05to make him seem like a drunk.
23:08She leaves no stone unturned
23:10in her mission
23:11to destroy his reputation.
23:13She even calls up the sponsors
23:15of Ramon's Young Prospects Boxing Club
23:18and says that he's embezzling money
23:20so that they'll pull their support.
23:23In high-conflict divorces,
23:25couples can exaggerate
23:27or even invent faults with each other.
23:30This can lead to false criminal allegations
23:33which need to be taken very seriously.
23:36It's a challenge for law enforcement
23:38when dealing with this type
23:39of hostile situation
23:41to determine fact from fiction.
23:44Any type of allegation,
23:46real or not,
23:47can have lasting consequences
23:49on a person's life or reputation.
23:53So it's important
23:54for law enforcement personnel
23:56to get it right.
23:57When Lulu refuses to negotiate
24:00a fair and equitable divorce settlement,
24:03Ramon realizes what he's up against.
24:06Ramon sees that Lulu
24:07is gunning for everything.
24:09The gym, the house,
24:11his 401k pension from FedEx.
24:14Ramon's kids are listed
24:16as the beneficiaries
24:17of his life insurance policy,
24:19but Lulu is fighting hard for the rest.
24:22But the real bombshell drops in late June.
24:25Ramon's buddy Mundo
24:27comes to him with a wild story.
24:30Lulu doesn't want just a divorce.
24:33She wants her husband six feet under.
24:37Mundo first came to Young Prospects Boxing
24:40as a 24-year-old ex-gang leader,
24:43fresh out of prison
24:44and looking to turn his life around.
24:47He wanted to get into shape
24:49and boxing seemed like a good way to do it.
24:52Ramon became his trainer
24:53and over the years
24:55they formed a tight bond,
24:56almost like father and son.
24:59Mundo tells Ramon
25:00that he overheard Lulu
25:01and her daughter
25:02talking about hiring a hitman
25:04and that Ramon's name
25:05came up in the conversation.
25:11Thinking on his feet,
25:13a concerned Mundo
25:14decides to intervene.
25:17Mundo approaches Lulu
25:18and offers his services
25:20by connecting her
25:21to a street thug named Paco
25:23who can get the job done.
25:25Except there is no Paco.
25:28Mundo made him up.
25:30Or rather, Paco isn't real.
25:33He's a character
25:33from Mundo's favorite movie,
25:35Blood In, Blood Out.
25:37In the movie,
25:38Benjamin Bratt
25:39plays a gangbanger named Paco.
25:41On the streets,
25:42he's so admired and feared
25:44that someone paints
25:45a giant mural of him
25:46two stories high,
25:48which is how Mundo
25:50describes Paco to Lulu.
25:53And the kicker,
25:54at the end of the movie,
25:56Paco is revealed to be
25:57an undercover cop.
26:00Ramon is floored.
26:02He immediately goes
26:03to the police.
26:05But it's a tough situation
26:06for the police to be in.
26:08With the looming divorce,
26:09the possibility that Ramon
26:11is lying about the whole thing
26:12is very real.
26:14And without any hard evidence,
26:15it's tough to lay an actual charge.
26:21Without enough
26:22for the authorities
26:22to get involved,
26:24Ramon and Mundo
26:25are on their own.
26:29Ramon and Mundo
26:30choose to go rogue.
26:32They decide to run
26:34their own sting operation,
26:36with Ramon playing
26:37the part of Paco.
26:39Mundo buys a burner phone,
26:41and Ramon starts
26:43negotiating his own murder.
26:45They keep records
26:46of all conversations
26:47and texts
26:48between Lulu and Paco.
26:50It's DIY law enforcement
26:52at its finest,
26:52or craziest.
26:54Lulu's offers
26:55start rolling in.
26:57Ramon's truck,
26:59his jewelry.
27:01She even reminds Mundo
27:03to take Ramon's watch off
27:04after he's killed,
27:05so Paco can have that as well.
27:08To ensure that
27:09they're not entrapping her,
27:10Mundo reminds Lulu
27:11that she can back out
27:12of the murder plan
27:13at any time.
27:14It doesn't have to happen.
27:16But Lulu is all in.
27:18She's determined
27:19to see her husband killed.
27:22In fact,
27:23Lulu starts to get antsy
27:24that these negotiations
27:25are taking too long.
27:27Her divorce hearing
27:28is coming up
27:29in a few weeks,
27:30and she needs
27:31this messy business
27:32with her husband settled
27:33before her divorce is.
27:38Lulu's impatience
27:39grows increasingly
27:40concerning to Ramon.
27:42Ramon knows that Lulu
27:44has family in Mexico
27:45with deep pockets
27:47who might be willing
27:48to help her.
27:49What if she gets impatient
27:50and hires a real hitman?
27:53Paranoia sets in.
27:55Ramon carries a gun
27:56with him everywhere he goes.
27:58He even sleeps with it
28:00under his pillow at night.
28:03Like they say,
28:04it's not paranoia
28:05if someone is actually
28:07trying to kill you.
28:10Living in the same house
28:12as someone you know
28:13for a fact
28:13is trying to have you killed
28:15is not normal.
28:16It's enough to make
28:17anyone paranoid.
28:19Just before the July 4th holiday,
28:21Ramon and Mundo decide
28:23it's time to up the ante.
28:27Paco tells Lulu
28:28that he's bought a gun
28:30for the hit.
28:30She responds
28:32by handing over $100
28:33as a down payment
28:35to Mundo.
28:36That's when Mundo
28:37and Ramon decide
28:38to bring in the cavalry.
28:40They go back to the police,
28:42this time with backup in hand.
28:44As Ramon and Mundo
28:46lay out their evidence
28:47for the authorities,
28:49the detective has a reaction
28:51that nobody expects.
28:57With his wife gunning for his life,
29:00Ramon Sosa finds himself
29:02negotiating his own murder,
29:04playing a hitman
29:06recruited by his buddy Mundo
29:07in an elaborate
29:08DIY sting operation,
29:11desperately trying to stop
29:13his wife Lulu
29:13from hiring a real hitman.
29:17Tired of sleeping with a loaded gun
29:19under his pillow,
29:21Ramon and Mundo
29:22take their unlikely story
29:24to the authorities.
29:32On July 3rd,
29:34Ramon and Mundo
29:35find themselves
29:36face to face
29:37with the detective
29:38laying out
29:39their wild tale
29:40of murder for hire.
29:42They come armed
29:43with a treasure trove
29:44of evidence,
29:45cell phones
29:46with incriminating texts,
29:48Mundo's covert audio recordings,
29:51and the smoking gun,
29:53a crisp $100 bill
29:55that Lulu handed over
29:57as a down payment
29:58on her husband's life.
30:04Messy divorces are nothing new.
30:06So at first,
30:07the detective is skeptical.
30:09It's not unusual
30:10for folks to come in
30:11and spin tall tales
30:12to make the other party look bad.
30:15Police may assume at first
30:17that this is actually
30:18what's going on here.
30:20But there's one piece
30:21of the puzzle
30:21that sells it,
30:23and that's Mundo.
30:25When detectives start
30:26digging into Mundo's background,
30:28the crazy story
30:29all begins to make sense.
30:32Mundo's hardcore
30:33gang affiliations
30:34mean that he should
30:35never be talking
30:36to the police ever
30:37about anything.
30:40Cooperation with the police
30:41isn't tolerated anywhere
30:43in the criminal underworld.
30:45For Mundo to walk
30:46into a police station
30:48and voluntarily snitch,
30:49even to save
30:50his own friend's life,
30:52that's practically
30:53signing his own death warrant.
30:55No way he's doing that
30:57unless Ramon's life
30:58really is on the line.
31:08Realizing this case
31:09is the real deal,
31:10the detective decides
31:11to stick with the status quo.
31:13Ramon and Mundo
31:15have been doing
31:15a pretty good job
31:17of collecting evidence
31:18over the past week
31:19and a half.
31:20So the detective decides
31:21the best course of action
31:23is for them
31:23to keep the ball rolling.
31:25It's an unusual situation.
31:28To have civilians
31:29continue to act
31:30as agents of the police
31:32shifts the liability,
31:33if anything goes wrong,
31:35from those civilians
31:36to the police.
31:37Several steps
31:39have to be taken
31:40to ensure
31:40that those civilians
31:41are voluntarily engaged
31:43in this operation
31:44and are aware
31:45of the liabilities
31:46and risks
31:47of continuing with it.
31:49The detective
31:51sets them up
31:51with proper audio
31:52and video equipment
31:54for their undercover operations.
31:56So Mundo's
31:57captured conversations
31:58with Lulu
31:59can eventually
32:00be used in court.
32:02Mundo arises
32:03to the occasion.
32:04Over the course
32:05of the investigation,
32:06he manages to record
32:0712 different
32:08incriminating conversations
32:09that he has
32:11with Lulu.
32:12Over the next
32:13several weeks,
32:14Ramon and Mundo
32:15keep up the ruse,
32:16with Ramon continuing
32:18to play the part
32:19of fictitious hitman Paco
32:21to Lulu's Black Widow.
32:23But as the July 22nd
32:25deadline looms,
32:26it's time for another
32:28Paco to step in.
32:30The detective introduces
32:32Ramon and Mundo
32:33to Agent Edgar
32:34from the Texas
32:35Department of Public Safety
32:37who is stepping
32:38into the role
32:39of the vicious gangbanger.
32:41The Texas Department
32:43of Public Safety
32:44is a statewide organization
32:46that is responsible
32:47for criminal investigations
32:48and crime prevention,
32:50among other things.
32:52Because of the imminent threat
32:53caused by Lulu's actions,
32:56the Texas DPS
32:57provides an undercover agent
32:58for the next phase
32:59of the investigation.
33:01The agent tells Ramon
33:02and Mundo
33:03that their full cooperation
33:04is going to be needed
33:06the following week
33:08when everything kicks
33:10into high gear.
33:11On July 20th,
33:13Agent Edgar,
33:14now transformed
33:15into an authentic version
33:17of the fictitious Paco,
33:19meets Lulu
33:19in a parking lot
33:20near the Sosa's gym.
33:22The goal of an undercover agent
33:24is to get their target
33:25to do or say something illegal
33:27in their presence.
33:28Even better
33:30if that transaction
33:31is recorded
33:31on audio or video.
33:34That way,
33:35prosecutors aren't just relying
33:37on the agent's testimony
33:38in court.
33:40In this case,
33:41the vehicle
33:42that Agent Edgar
33:43is using
33:44has a hidden camera
33:45in it
33:46to capture
33:47the entire conversation
33:48between him
33:49and Lulu.
33:51When Paco
33:52asked Lulu
33:53if she just wants
33:54her husband roughed up,
33:55Lulu doesn't mince words.
33:58No,
33:59I want him dead.
34:00He's more used to me
34:01dead,
34:02she says,
34:03cool as a cucumber.
34:05She even suggests
34:06that Paco grab Ramon
34:07as he's leaving
34:08for work.
34:10Lulu seals the deal
34:11with some jewelry,
34:12watches,
34:13and a $500
34:14cash down payment.
34:16The police already
34:17have enough
34:17to arrest Lulu,
34:19but this is
34:20capital murder.
34:21It's the most serious
34:22offense that there is.
34:24The punishment for it
34:26is life in prison.
34:27with no possibility
34:28of parole
34:29and sometimes
34:30even capital punishment.
34:32Every piece of evidence
34:34that can be gathered
34:35should be gathered
34:36and the case
34:37should be made
34:38as airtight as possible
34:39before presenting it
34:40to the prosecutors.
34:43Lulu is an attractive woman.
34:45She's a mother.
34:46She's been claiming
34:47Ramon is abusive.
34:49All sympathy cards
34:50that could sway
34:51a jury.
34:52The agent decides
34:53to take the investigation
34:55one step farther
34:56to erase
34:57any possible doubt
34:58into Lulu's guilt.
35:02The next morning,
35:03Paco picks up Ramon
35:05as he's leaving the house,
35:06just as Lulu
35:07had suggested.
35:09At HQ,
35:10the detectives
35:11let Ramon in
35:12on the plan.
35:13They're going to kill him.
35:15Or rather,
35:16they're going to make it
35:17look like he's been killed.
35:19And that Paco
35:21carried out the hit
35:22that Lulu hired him
35:24to do.
35:26Police officers
35:27are really not trained
35:28in makeup application.
35:30But they do have access
35:31to authentic photos
35:32of dead bodies
35:33to use as reference material.
35:35They search YouTube
35:37for makeup tutorials.
35:39They find videos
35:40of teenage girls
35:41applying makeup
35:42to look like
35:43fake bullet wounds.
35:44Step-by-step tutorial.
35:47Armed with corn syrup,
35:48food coloring,
35:49and a hefty dose
35:50of morbid creativity,
35:52detectives set about
35:53transforming Ramon
35:54into a convincing corpse.
35:57They change his skin coloring
35:59to make him look dead
36:00and apply a gnarly-looking
36:03bullet wound
36:04to his temple,
36:05complete with a trail of blood
36:07down his cheek.
36:09With Ramon now looking
36:10decidedly deceased,
36:12the team heads
36:13to a remote piece
36:14of city-owned land.
36:16In this undercover operation,
36:18police want to ensure
36:20that they're not seen
36:21by any member
36:21of the public.
36:22So they choose
36:23a remote location
36:25where they can stage
36:26a shallow grave.
36:27Ramon plays dead,
36:29hands behind his back
36:30as if they were tied,
36:32eyes closed
36:33and head tilted
36:34to the side.
36:35Agent Edgar
36:36snaps a few choice photos
36:38of a dead Ramon
36:39with Paco's phone.
36:41Once the detectives
36:42are sure they have
36:43everything they need,
36:44they clean everything up.
36:47After the photo shoot,
36:49Ramon is told
36:50he needs to disappear,
36:51for real.
36:52The next day,
36:54while a not-so-dead Ramon
36:55hides out at a motel,
36:58Paco meets up with Lulu
36:59for a second time
37:00to show her photos
37:01of her supposedly
37:03dead husband.
37:05Lulu's reaction
37:06says it all.
37:07She smiles,
37:08she laughs,
37:09but the laugh's on her.
37:10It's all captured
37:12on Agent Edgar's
37:13hidden camera.
37:14It's fantastic
37:16when a case
37:16comes together like this.
37:18All the evidence lines up,
37:19you've gathered
37:20all the evidence
37:21that you can,
37:21you present it
37:22to your prosecutor,
37:24they can be your
37:25harshest critic
37:26at the outset,
37:27but when you bulletproof
37:28a case like this
37:29and there's no wiggle room,
37:31there's not a better feeling
37:33that you can have.
37:34As the pieces
37:35of this elaborate
37:36sting operation
37:37fall into place,
37:38the team decides
37:39to take the plot
37:40one step further
37:41in order to seal the deal.
37:47Lulu Sosa
37:48unwittingly hires
37:50her husband
37:50to commit
37:51his own murder
37:52for hire
37:54when former gang leader
37:55Mundo
37:56convinces her
37:57it's a street thug
37:58named Paco
37:59on the other end
37:59of the line.
38:02When an undercover agent
38:04from the Texas Department
38:05of Public Safety
38:06steps into Paco's high tops,
38:08Lulu takes the bait.
38:12Paco shows Lulu
38:13staged photos
38:14of her supposedly
38:15dead husband
38:16and her reaction
38:18is enough
38:18to seal the deal
38:19on a capital
38:20murder charge.
38:22Lulu's reaction
38:24says it all.
38:25She smiles,
38:26she laughs,
38:27but the laugh's on her.
38:28It's all captured
38:29on Agent Edgar's
38:30hidden camera.
38:33But detectives decide
38:35they want some icing
38:36on their cake
38:38and take the plot
38:40one step further.
38:43With the stage murder
38:44in the books,
38:45the police waste
38:46no time securing
38:47an arrest warrant
38:48for Lulu.
38:50But they're not done yet.
38:51They want one final
38:53piece of evidence
38:54to seal the deal.
38:56The following afternoon,
38:58the detective rolls up
38:59to the boxing
39:00and fitness gym.
39:02The detective finds
39:03Lulu working at the gym
39:05with her daughter.
39:06It seems like
39:07a normal day for her.
39:09You'd never know
39:10that she received
39:11confirmation
39:11of her husband's death
39:13less than 24 hours prior.
39:16Police tell Lulu
39:17that they're there
39:18to do a wellness check
39:19on Ramon.
39:20Normally,
39:21you do a wellness check
39:22when you get reports
39:23that something may be
39:24amiss with somebody
39:25and you're there
39:26to make sure
39:27that everything is okay.
39:29The detective asks
39:30to have a private word
39:31with Lulu.
39:34He tells her
39:35that Ramon hasn't been
39:36to work for two days
39:37and he's wondering
39:39if she's heard
39:40from him at all.
39:41Lulu launches
39:42into the mother
39:43of all performances.
39:45She claims
39:46she hasn't seen Ramon
39:47since July 15th.
39:49But that a friend
39:50already tipped her off
39:52about Ramon being missing
39:53and that she's been
39:55calling around everywhere
39:56trying to find him.
39:58It's a textbook example
39:59of what sociologists
40:00call duping delight.
40:02The pleasure
40:03that somebody feels
40:04when they believe
40:05they've successfully
40:06deceived somebody
40:07and Lulu
40:08has it in spades.
40:10But in this case,
40:11it's Lulu
40:12who's the dupe.
40:13The detective
40:15finally drops the act
40:16and arrests Lulu
40:17for solicitation
40:18to commit capital murder.
40:22She's held
40:23on $1 million bail.
40:27As the news
40:28of the arrest breaks,
40:29the unusual details
40:31of the case
40:31shock the community.
40:34Investigators
40:34were at the Woodlands
40:35Boxing and Fitness Gym
40:36for hours this afternoon
40:38executing a search warrant.
40:40Maria and Ramon Sosa
40:41had been here
40:42a long time.
40:44Eight years now?
40:45And the husband
40:46and wife
40:46owned it together?
40:47The gym website
40:49shows a fit
40:49and happy
40:50Maria or Lulu Sosa.
40:52But friends
40:53and business associates
40:54knew otherwise.
40:55They were not happy
40:57together?
40:58No, there's been
40:59some problems.
41:00According to the affidavit,
41:01on Monday,
41:0241-year-old Maria Sosa
41:04met through an acquaintance
41:05an undercover officer
41:06she thought
41:07was a hitman.
41:08She paid him $500
41:10with some men's jewelry
41:11as a down payment,
41:13then agreed to give
41:14another $2,000
41:15and her husband's truck
41:16after the job was done.
41:18The undercover agent
41:19did ask if she wanted him
41:21just to beat him up,
41:22and Sosa said,
41:23no, I want him dead.
41:25We're still in the process
41:26of figuring that out.
41:27You know,
41:27that's a good question.
41:28You ask why somebody
41:29would want to murder
41:29someone's spouse.
41:30They're their own spouse.
41:31The document goes on
41:32to say Wednesday,
41:33the undercover officer
41:34called Maria
41:35to say Ramon was dead.
41:37They met again,
41:38and she paid him
41:39another $1,000,
41:40and he showed Sosa
41:42a previously staged
41:43photograph of Ramon Sosa
41:45depicting his murder,
41:46that after the conversation
41:48ended, Sosa shook his hand
41:50and smiled
41:51as she exited the vehicle.
42:06In the end,
42:08Ramon is completely vindicated.
42:11Lulu's allegations
42:12against him
42:13are all proven false,
42:14and the assault citation
42:16is dropped.
42:18At the divorce hearing,
42:19Ramon gets everything.
42:21The house,
42:22the gym,
42:23everything that Lulu
42:25was gunning for.
42:27It's impossible
42:28not to wonder
42:28if Lulu had her endgame
42:30in mind all that time.
42:32Did she step on Ramon's foot
42:34accidentally all those years ago?
42:36Or was it an elaborate scheme
42:38for her to get her green card?
42:41Or,
42:41as she said to Mundo,
42:43her retirement plan?
42:45Generally,
42:46folks don't like to think
42:47that people can be that devious.
42:49But when you work
42:50in law enforcement long enough,
42:52you know that they can be.
42:54A year after her indictment,
42:56Lulu pleads guilty
42:57to a lesser charge
42:59of second-degree solicitation
43:00of murder
43:01and is sentenced
43:02to 20 years in prison.
43:06What began with a dance
43:08ended in a tangled web
43:10of lies and fake identities.
43:13It's a stark reminder
43:14that the American dream
43:16can sometimes morph
43:17into a nightmare.
43:19And if you're going
43:21to hire a hitman,
43:22make sure they're actually
43:23a real person.
43:25Or better yet,
43:26just don't.
43:56www.aincroble.com
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