A kindly Army veteran who stopped to help a stranded driver was killed by the very man he went to assist after it turned out the motorist was a hitman hired to murder him.
Carlos Cruz-Echevarria, 60, was killed in 'planned execution' on a quiet Deltona road, in Florida on Veteran's Day.
Police say Kelsey Terrance McFoley, 28, paid suspected hitman Benjamin Jaquaric Antonio Bascom, 24, to kill Cruz-Echevarria to prevent him from testifying against him in a road rage case. Both suspects were arrested this week.
Carlos Cruz-Echevarria, 60, (pictured) was killed in 'planned execution' on a quiet Deltona road, in Florida on Veteran's Day
Detectives say that Cruz-Echevarria was driving along a Deltona road, in Florida, in November, when he spotted a car which appeared to be stuck in a ditch.
Deciding to be a good Samaritan, he brought his truck to try and pull the vehicle free. But when he got out of his truck, he was shot dead and his truck was stolen.
Instead, Cruz Echevarria was shot to death and his truck was stolen and was later found burned in Apopka, sheriff's spokesman Andrew Gant told the Orlando Sentinel.
Investigators say the trouble began on May 2, 2017, when Cruz-Echevarria was driving in Deltona and he honked at a vehicle that was stopped at a green light.
McFoley pulled up to Cruz-Echevarria at the next intersection, pulled out a gun and asked if he 'had a problem?' according to the police report.
'McFoley reaches into his glove box, pulls out a gun, and threatens to shoot Carlos,' said Sheriff Mike Chitwood.
Police say Kelsey Terrance McFoley, 28, (left) paid suspected hitman Benjamin Jaquaric Antonio Bascom, 24, (right) to kill Cruz-Echevarria
Bascom, McFoley and his girlfriend, Melissa Rios Roque, 21, (pictured) who allegedly conspired with them to commit murder, were all arrested for murder charges
The veteran called the police and was able to provide McFoley's car registration.
McFoley, a convicted felon with more than two dozen previous charges, was arrested over the road rage case on June 1, 2017. If convicted, he would have faced a lengthy prison sentence in view of his previous convictions.
'Somewhere along the line these three scumbags decide that Carlos has to die,' said Chitwood.
Around three weeks before the execution-style murder, McFoley's attorney filed a court notice indicating Cruz-Echevarria would testify in December - which included the witness' home address.
Capt. Brian Henderson said McFoley hired hitman Bascom to kill Cruz-Echevarria to prevent him from ever making that testimony.
Bascom went to Cruz-Echevarria's house on November 11, but he wasn't in, so stalked the neighborhood looking for his victim.
While turning around in the street, he accidentally got his car stuck in a ditch.
That's when Cruz-Echevarria pulled up behind him and offered to help.
Detectives say that Cruz-Echevarria was driving along a Deltona road, in Florida, in November, when he spotted a car which appeared to be stuck in a ditch and decided to help (pictured is the ditch where the alleged killer's car was stuck)
Tributes have been left to the 60-year-old small business owner, who has a relative who works for the local police
Meanwhile, the family of Cruz-Echevarria are still coming to terms with the loss of the 'gentle animal lover'
When the good Samaritan bent over to get a better look at the car, Bascom shot him several times in the head, police say.
'It just so happened that the kindheartedness of our victim, stopped to help and the stars aligned, unfortunately, and here he is trying to help them -- which was a stolen car, and they were prepared to burn the car - and ultimately (Bascom shoots) him as he's bending down in the ditch to get this car out ot the ditch, so he didn't even see it coming,' Henderson said.
For several months, it appeared that Bascom had gotten away with the murder and the road rage charges against McFoley were dropped.
But eventually, DNA evidence was able to tie Bascom to both vehicles, and were able to trace his phone records to the scene of the crime. His phone also revealed he'd been in touch with McFoley, who had instructed him how to carry out the murder, authorities said.
On Tuesday, McFoley and his girlfriend, Melissa Rios Roque, 21, who allegedly conspired with them to commit murder, were arrested.
Capt. Brian Henderson said McFoley hired hitman Bascom to kill Cruz-Echevarria to prevent him from ever making a testimony
Bascom was arrested the next day at Orlando International Airport, where he was about to board a plane to Texas.
They are all facing first-degree murder charges. Chitwood said his department is encouraging prosecutors to pursue the death penalty.
Sheriff Chitwood called the murder: 'One of the most heinous, despicable, cowardly acts I've ever witnessed,' Wesh reports.
'Carlos did not deserve to die,' Chitwood said. 'A road-rage incident where a man does what he's supposed to do -- notify the police, cooperate with the system -- and his thanks is to end up with multiple bullets in his head, killed just outside of his home.'
Meanwhile, the family of Cruz-Echevarria, a small business owner and brother-in-law to a Volusia County Sheriff's Office employee, are still coming to terms with the loss of the 'gentle animal lover'.
His niece described him as someone who made life 'so much more rich and beautiful just for being himself.'
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/09/07/army-vet-executed-after-trying-to-help-a-stranded-driver-who-turned-out-to-be-a-hitman/
Main photo article A kindly Army veteran who stopped to help a stranded driver was killed by the very man he went to assist after it turned out the motorist was a hitman hired to murder him.
Carlos Cruz-Echevarria, 60, was killed in ‘planned execution’ on a quiet Deltona road, in Florida on...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/09/07/16/4FD6C05C00000578-6143353-image-m-34_1536332784055.jpg
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