“The stars aligned, unfortunately … He didn’t even see it coming.”

Volusia County Sheriff’s OfficeCarlos Cruz-Echevarria

A tragic incident occurred last fall when a kind-hearted man was killed while helping a stranded driver, who turned out to be a hitman hired to kill him. Now, justice is being served for the man’s death.

On Sept. 6, three individuals were arrested in connection to the murder of 60-year-old Carlos Cruz-Echevarria, according to Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood.

Cruz-Echevarria was tragically found dead in a ditch near his home in Florida, with multiple gunshot wounds to the head on Veterans Day 2017. Law enforcement revealed that the Army veteran was targeted to prevent him from testifying in a road rage case.

“This is one of the most heinous, despicable, cowardly acts that I’ve ever witnessed,” Sheriff Chitwood stated in a news briefing. “Somebody’s gonna pay the ultimate price.”

The unfortunate chain of events started on May 1, 2017, when Cruz-Echevarria honked at a car that was stopped at a green light in Deltona, Florida. The driver of that car, Kelsey Terrance McFoley, did not take kindly to it and later pointed a gun at Cruz-Echevarria.

Cruz-Echevarria reported the incident, noting McFoley’s license plate number, which led to McFoley’s arrest on June 1 for aggravated assault and illegal gun possession.

McFoley, a convicted felon with a long record, faced severe prison time if convicted. In a desperate move, he planned to prevent Cruz-Echevarria from testifying by hiring a hitman. His lawyer filed court papers on Oct. 23 indicating that Cruz-Echevarria was to testify against him in December, revealing Cruz-Echevarria’s address in the process.

McFoley hired Benjamin Bascom to kill Cruz-Echevarria. On Nov. 11, Bascom went to Cruz-Echevarria’s house but found he wasn’t home. Bascom waited in the neighborhood, but his truck got stuck while turning around.

Cruz-Echevarria, unknowingly, arrived on the scene, got out, and began helping Bascom. In a tragic twist, Bascom shot him multiple times in the head.

“The stars aligned, unfortunately,” Capt. Henderson said during a news conference. “He didn’t even see it coming.”

Volusia County Dept. of Corrections via APFrom left: Kelsey McFoley, Melissa Rios Roque, and Benjamin Bascom.

The murder shocked the community, as Cruz-Echevarria was a beloved, hardworking self-made man known for helping others.

The case went cold for months until evidence surfaced. DNA in the stolen vehicle used by Bascom and in Cruz-Echevarria’s torched truck linked Bascom to the murder. Phone records also showed that McFoley was in contact with Bascom, giving him instructions.

Eventually, Bascom, McFoley, and McFoley’s girlfriend, Melissa Rios Roque, were all arrested for their involvement in Cruz-Echevarria’s murder.

“A road-rage incident where a man does what he’s supposed to do: notify the police, cooperate with the system, and his thanks was to end up with multiple bullets in his head,” said Chitwood during the conference.

Prosecutors are considering seeking the death penalty for the three suspects involved in this tragic event.