A Surrey, B.C., woman allegedly hired two men to kill her ex-husband, but before the plan could be carried out, police moved in and arrested all three, authorities said Friday.
The murder-for-hire plot, which authorities said is rare, had moved from the planning phase to the execution phase, said Vancouver police spokeswoman Const. Jana McGuinness.
At a news conference announcing the arrests, Vancouver police Insp. Brad Desmarais said a decision was made to move in when "public safety concerns outweighed investigative concerns," though he added that the intended target was protected throughout the 2 � week investigation.
Liza Joylene Belcourt, 32, of Surrey; Jordan Joseph Doiron, 23, of Port Coquitlam; and David Dean Laidlaw, 39, of Langley have each been charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
Richard Noniewicz, the ex-husband, told ctvbc.ca Friday that he was shocked to learn about the alleged plot.
"It's not everyday two cops come and take you downtown and tell you someone is trying to kill you," he said by phone.
"This is movie material," he said.
Noniewicz said he had been in a common-law relationship with Belcourt for 2 � years but the pair had been living apart for the last three years.
They have a young son together and were in the midst of a custody battle, he said.
Court records show that Noniewicz is due to appear in Surrey provincial court in November to face an assault charge.
Noniewicz said he does not know the two men who were arrested.
Police said the two alleged hitmen were connected to gangs and known to police.
They were motivated by money, Desmarais said. He said he didn't know what motivated the woman to hire them.
At the height of the investigation, more than 50 officers were involved. More arrests are expected in this case, police said.
Desmarais said people have been known to pay up to $100,000 in murder-for-hire plots.
