"I miss my daddy because he's with Jesus," Lajaya said. BARTOW Andre Warner is sitting before a jury now on trial for first-degree murder and facing the death penalty solely because a co-defendant in the case, Hailey Rose Bustos, told detectives Warner killed Adam Hilarie in a 2016 home-invasion robbery, a defense lawyer told jurors Tuesday. Soon after Bustos arrest, Ray said, three men all friends or acquaintances of one another were arrested in Hilaries death: Joshua Ellington, 26; Gary Gray, 31; and Andrew Warner, 26. Our thoughts are with the loved ones of the victim at this time. Failed to delete memorial. "This is always going to happen. On his Facebook, Hilarie posted multiple photos of the two together, calling her my princess., Each and every one of you know he was fun to be around, one Hilaries brothers said at a vigil, according to the Sentinel. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. In the online dating space, finding a safe solution to scams has evaded law enforcement authorities and the sites themselves, according to David Evans, who has tracked the business of online dating since 2002. He brought out the good in everyone," said Angel Cruz, Hilarie's brother. Arrest of four people in connection with the killing including 18-year-old Hailey Bustos, who went on the date with him, Andre Warner, 26, Gary Gray, 31, and Joshua Ellington, 26. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. The next night, her real intentions became clear, police told The Washington Post. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. Were all going to get peace.. As those closest to Adam come together and grieve, they're struggling to understand why anyone would want to kill him. Alternate juror involved in a car accident after the first day of trial. ", Scammers, Levin said, "are experts at presentation of self. That night, she reportedly texted him: I had a good time and would to see you again, all while conspiring with three others to rob the young father. We was raised that way. It wasn't until later that she reluctantly implicated her three friends Warner, 29, Joshua Ellington, 29, and Gary Gray, 34, she said. 2023 www.theledger.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/168882215/adam-carlis-hilarie. Police said he was killed between 2:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. and his roommate discovered his body, along with several missing items, hours later upon returning home. Why even bring Andre Warner into this?. "You should get to know them better than that so you can judge their character and also know their intentions. One of the things about Hilarie that his family mentions over and over is his big smile. On Monday, police announced that four people had been charged with Hilarie's murder: Bustos; Andrew Maurice Warner, 26; Gary Terrell Gray, 31; and Joshua Ellington, 26. The defendant becomes emotional twice over references to his now-deceased grandfather. Memorial service Sat. Bustos, who has a lengthy criminal record, was being investigated for an unrelated burglary charge when she was approached Sunday by detectives. Hilarie's family and friends are devastated following his murder. Adam was born in Bartow and was a lifelong resident of the area graduating from. "Please, if you know anything, just say something, for my daughter. In this particular case, a couple of these guys are career criminals, Ray said Monday. UPDATED March 13, 2020 (COURT TV): A jury found Andre Warner guilty of First-Degree Murder in the death of 27-year-old Adam Hilarie. The pair went bowling and returned to his apartment following their first date . Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? Warner, the first of the four co-defendants to stand trial, is the only one facing the death penalty. "Each and every one of you know he was fun to be around," Hilarie's brother said at a vigil held for him, which was videotaped and posted on Facebook. Using the lure of Internet love to get money from unsuspecting people is a scam as old as the Web itself. 27-year-old Adam Hilarie went on a date Thursday with 18-year-old Hailey Bustos after the pair met via PlentyOfFish. Police . Aug. 22: Police arrest Hailey Bustos, Andre Warner, Gary Gray and Joshua Ellington. Hilarie was begging for his life, he was not putting up any kind of fight, and was telling them that he had a 5-year-old daughter, according to arrest reports cited by the Sentinel. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. They had gone bowling, according to the Sentinel, and Bustos later texted Hilarie that she enjoyed herself and would like to see him again. Police explain how it all started with an online dating site. The judge informed the court that there will be a week-long break and the punishment phase is scheduled to resume March 30 as Warner faces the death penalty. And when Hilarie wasnt working most recently as a roofer he was likely training as a fighter, or working out, or playing a pickup game of football or basketball. She never showed; instead, two men with guns held the victims up, according to NBC affiliate WFLA. Court bans spectators, including the victim and the defendants family from the courtroom. Investigators got a break in the case after a witness reported seeing Hilarie with a young woman Thursday night, and Winter Haven police picked up Bustos in a separate burglary over the weekend. We don't put our kids in them. A witness to the burglary mentioned Bustos' connection to Hilarie's killing, Ray said, and police investigating his death began to focus their attention on the teen. Try again later. Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). They're still investigating the crime and so far, have not made any arrests. I think the plan was that he get robbed and they take his stuff. Hilarie, 27, had been shot once in the back of his head in his Auburndale apartment, killing him instantly. Cell phone expert places Andre Warners phone in the vicinity of the victims home on the night of the murder. Within days of his death, all four suspects in his case would be arrested, Auburndale Deputy Police Chief Andy Ray said at a Monday news conference. "And the smartest person can be taken in during the early stages of the dating process. When Warner and Gray returned to the car, they were laughing that Hilarie had begged for his life as he kneeled on the floor, a gun pointed at his head, she said. Still, stories exist across the country of people looking for love but finding violent criminals instead. When I [first] found out about it, I already forgave those who did it. Year should not be greater than current year. Ray said that Warner was the one who allegedly pulled the trigger in Hilaries fatal shooting. Adam Hilarie, 27, was shot in the head during a robbery that police say Hailey Bustos, 18, arranged within hours after visiting his home on their first date in the central Florida town of. And so does the fact that since his death, their community has come out in force, bringing well wishes, sympathy and love. They also stole alcohol, jewelry and marijuana from Hilarie, the report says. Later that evening, Hilarie drives Bustos home. Ray said his police department is trying to see if Bustos' and the other suspects have committed other, similar crimes in the area. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Social media photos show Hilarie suited up in boxing gloves and a robe. Defense attorney Bob Norgard lets his frustrations flare at some late hour filings from the State that Norgard called discovery violations. Police said Adam Hilarie was killed after making a . BARTOW Anna Cruz clutched her face with both hands and the tears flowed Wednesday night as Circuit Judge Jalal Harb read the jurys verdict. Adam Hilarie is on Facebook. (Auburndale police did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment.). Now He's Accused of Murdering Her, Who Is Elon Musk's Estranged Father? "You just have to remember, you have no idea who you are talking to," he said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Their whole family is still grieving and they are spending time together as they cope. A perfect tool doesn't yet exist to vet the person at the other end of a match, Evans told The Post. Bustos had created her profile on the website only days earlier after talking with a friend who had said she'd gotten money from men she'd met that way, Ducharme said. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. The 27-year-old, from Auburndale, Florida, brought her back to his apartment. Police were initially called to investigate a suspicious death and later ruled Hilarie's death a homicide. Add to your scrapbook. In rare instances, victims - like Hilarie - can lose their lives. Investigators believe Warner was the one who pulled the trigger. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. He was an amateur boxer and mixed martial arts fighter, an excellent athlete, with a job interview planned just days. I cant judge them, Errol, 33, says. "Her comfort with the way this went, didn't seem like it was her first time," he said. A sharp dresser and avid Florida State University fan, as the rest of the family is, Hilarie would dress LaJaya in fan gear, too. But Assistant State Attorney Kristie Ducharme told jurors that Bustos initially told detectives she had gone on a date with Hilarie, but he had dropped her off and that was all she knew. Ray said he didn't know how the robbery escalated. Join Facebook to connect with Adam Hilarie and others you may know. A status hearing is set for November 2, 2020. She was in the car during the heistand said she didn't know the men would kill Hilarie, according to her arrest report. Judge admonishes Ducharme and Norgard for their antics during arguments outside the presence of the jury. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. As Hilarie bled out, Ray said, the suspects went downstairs, pulled their car to the front of the apartment and began stealing the dead man's Xbox, iPhone and TVs -- valuables Bustos had spotted the night before. Except now it's more sophisticated and easier for someone to lie and cheat and fabricate because they can pretty much change their identity to make it fit a new reality. "Hilarie was begging for his life, he was not putting up any kind of fight, and was telling them that he had a 5-year-old daughter," according to arrest reports obtained by the Orlando Sentinel. Experts say people are getting better at spotting many of the Internet's longtime scams: They're suspicious of unsolicited emails from the Nigerian royal family, and they ignore the romantic entreaties of beautiful lovestruck women who sound vaguely like badly programmed algorithms. 28K views, 100 likes, 11 loves, 59 comments, 23 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from COURT TV: #BREAKING: "I was supposed to leave this world before my child." Anna Cruz, the mother of #AdamHilarie,. Somehow police arent sure exactly how the suspects got back into Hilaries apartment early Friday. Police told the family it doesn't look like Adam Hilarie's apartment was broken into, but his family says some expensive electronics and jewelry are missing. All four suspects remain in jail as of Tuesday, according to court records. This defendant, Andre Warner, thought it was really funny how Adam Hilarie was begging for his life, Ducharme told jurors. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. Police explain how it all started with an online dating site. Adam Hilarie's family and friends are devastated following his murder. There is no reason for them to implicate Andre Warner, except for the fact that its just true, Ducharme told jurors in her closing argument Wednesday. According to reports, she and Ellington were waiting in a vehicle outside Hilaries home during the murder. He worked as roofer and enjoyed FSU sports, boxing, kickboxing and MMA training at Lady Ram Gym. When Hilarie, 27, responded to the knock on the door, the men overpowered him and dashed inside, police said. Do not go to someone's home, invite them to yours, or meet at hotel.". You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. Hilarie and Bustos, then 18, met on the dating website PlentyOfFish.com, and after a date, she conspired with the three other men to return to Hilarie's apartment and rob him. You can always change this later in your Account settings. If they are lying about what happened, why not just take themselves out of the situation, or why not just blame Gary? Bustos, 21, had just turned 18 in August 2016 when she and Hilarie connected on the Plenty of Fish dating website, and they arranged to meet later that day. . ", In a statement emailed to The Washington Post, a spokeswoman for PlentyOfFish said that "the security and well-being of our users is a top priority at PlentyOfFish, and we were deeply saddened to hear of this senseless crime. I just don't get it. Andre Maurice Warner guilty of the execution-style killing of Cruz son, Adam Hilarie, testified that she had met Hilarie through the PlentyofFish.com dating website, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. To use this feature, use a newer browser. He took away a father, and hes a father. Denzel Raikowski, who was romantically involved with Hailey Bustos around the time of the incident, testifies he saw Bustos, Warner and the remaining two codefendants all leave together and then return the night of the murder. Adam was born in Bartow and was a lifelong resident of the area graduating from Auburndale High School in 2007. 2 a story designed to get her out of trouble and keep her from going to jail.. Follow her on Twitter @southpolkscene. "I see girls on there that their occupation is getting money.
