BELLEVUE, Wash. — A woman and two teenagers are in custody for allegedly plotting the murder of the woman's ex-husband in Bellevue in July.
Bellevue police said Friday detectives arrested a 30-year-old woman and two 17-year-old males in connection with the shooting that happened at the Overlook at Lakemont Apartments on July 10.
The 48-year-old victim was shot nine times in the parking lot as he approached his car, but he survived and is recovering, according to police.
Police said the 30-year-old woman is the shooting victim's ex-wife. She allegedly hired a 17-year-old to carry out the shooting, and that suspect got his friend, also 17, to drive him from Mount Vernon to Bellevue to commit the crime.
According to court documents released Friday, the female suspect and her ex-husband were engaged in an ongoing custody battle over their child.
"The day of the shooting, the victim had no idea who would have wanted him injured or killed other than his ex-wife, whom he said that they had had a custody dispute with and who might have some or would gain financially if she had custody of the child," said Investigations Major Travess Forbush with Bellevue police.
The ex-wife was allegedly going to pay $13,000 for the murder for hire scheme, according to police.
The woman and the two teenagers are all facing attempted first degree murder charges. The woman had her first court appearance this week and is being held on $2 million bail. That information for the juvenile suspects was not immediately available.
Police said the investigation is ongoing.
"We're going to continue to investigate, we're going to continue to work on to make sure that we do have everybody and if there is somebody else out there to figure out exactly what role they played, and we'll bring them to justice. So that [the victim] doesn't have to worry about anybody else or anything, so he can live his life, free of concern or fear," said Forbush.
