BC-PA--Pennsylvania News Coverage Advisory, PA

Police: Mom who left girl at Macy's fleeing arrest is caught

PINE GROVE, Pa. (AP) — A state prison inmate and his girlfriend have been charged in a murder-for-hire plot foiled by an undercover state police officer posing as a go-between named Joanie Pepperoni. Police on Monday announced the charges of criminal solicitation to commit homicide and conspiracy against 54-year-old Laraine Patterson, of Aliquippa and 48-year-old Gregory Rouzer. Rouzer is an inmate at the State Correctional Institution-Pine Grove. Police say Rouzer and Patterson wanted to kill Randy Walters, a man Rouzer previously was convicted of shooting in 2008 and tried to have killed in another foiled murder-for-hire plot in 2009. After a fellow inmate tipped off police, the female trooper posed as Ms. Pepperoni and received $1,000 of the agreed-upon $5,000 for the hit from Patterson last year. Online court records don't list attorneys for the defendants, who are both incarcerated.

State inmate, girlfriend charged in murder-for-hire plot