Suburban Woman Guilty of Hiring Hit Man to Kill Ex

On Thursday, 12 Kane County jurors agreed that Maricela Arciga of Aurora wanted her ex-boyfriend dead, and that she paid a hit man to do it, the Aurora Beacon-News is reporting.

That hit man was actually special agent David Gomez of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who had been tipped-off about the murder for hire.

Arciga, 27, was found guilty of murder for hire and solicitation of murder, each a Class X felony.

In September 2010, Gomez was contacted by a co-worker of Arciga’s. The co-worker had recently started a relationship with Arciga and learned that she was seeking to have her ex-boyfriend, Juan Garcia, killed.

Arciga’s defense attorney admitted that she did want her ex-boyfriend dead, but was “entrapped” and persuaded by Gomez and her co-worker into actually paying someone to do it.

Arciga said that she and her co-worker were dating. She confided in him about wanting Garcia killed. The man told Arciga that he would commission his cousin to carry out the hit. Instead, he went to police.

Aurora detectives got Gomez to act as the hit man. She furnished Gomez with a photo of Garcia, along with his personal information, and a $200 down payment.

The two agreed to a fee of $2,000 for the murder to be carried out.

In court, Arciga testified that she asked Gomez not to go through with the plan, and that she never provided him with the full payment for the job.

“She was trying to stop the train,” Arciga’s attorney, Raul Villalobos, told jurors during closing arguments.

Kane County Prosecutor Kelly Orland said there should be no doubt about Arciga’s intentions.

“She ordered this hit like she was ordering off of a menu ... it was very callous,” she said.

“The law doesn’t allow you to hire a hit man to kill (a man) because he wasn’t good to you.”

Judge Susan Clancy Boles set Arciga’s next court appearance for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 23, for motions and sentencing. Arciga will be sentenced to between 20 and 60 years in prison.

Arciga remains in custody at the Kane County Jail.