An 81-year-old Florida woman was arrested for allegedly hiring a hitman to kill someone, following prior animal cruelty charges.

An 81-year-old Florida woman, Elouise Leland, was arrested on January 16, 2026, in Citrus County after allegedly arranging a murder-for-hire with an undercover detective. Authorities say she met with the officer posing as a hitman, discussed the details of a planned killing, and agreed to pay for the crime. She was charged with solicitation to commit first-degree murder and taken into custody without bond. The investigation, led by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office with support from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, found no evidence of additional suspects, and the intended victim was not in danger. This arrest follows her 2025 felony charges related to animal cruelty, including the neglect and death of a dog, after 90 dogs were rescued from her home.