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# Murder for hire suspect nabbed in Santa Monica
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/murder-for-hire-suspect-nabbed-in-santa-monica/
- Published: 2007-05-16T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T00:46:16.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Crime, Downtown, #archive-import

*By Daily Press staff*

DOWNTOWN Police officers arrested a man last week after he allegedly tried to hire an undercover cop to kill his friend. The suspect had been holding more than $100,000 for the targeted friend and didn’t want to give it back, according to police.

Investigators from the Santa Monica Police Department’s narcotics and vice unit arrested Luis M. Cortez, 51, of Los Angeles, last Friday at his workplace in Santa Monica.

Cortez and the intended victim have known each other for nearly 20 years.

On May 2, Cortez contacted another friend and asked him to look for someone that could be hired to kill the victim, a police report said. Once the victim was dead, Cortez thought he could keep the money. The intermediary contacted the SMPD, who conducted the investigation leading to Cortez’s arrest.

Investigators also served search warrants at Cortez’s workplace and his residence in Los Angeles, where they recovered additional evidence.

Cortez was booked for soliciting another person to commit a murder and conspiracy to commit a crime. He is being held without bail.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 16, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/051607.pdf?ref=smdp.com)