A 23-year-old Florida woman is going to prison after orchestrating a chilling betrayal in which she set up a male friend to be ambushed and executed by her boyfriend only days after the couple reconciled.
On Monday, Lake County Circuit Judge Cary F. Rada imposed a 36-month sentence on Arianna Selina Gajraj. Gajraj pled guilty to attempted first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder after a terrifying late-night shooting in Clermont that left a car riddled with bullets but the victim unscathed.
The plan came together less than 48 hours after Gajraj and her boyfriend, Brandon Pirela, rekindled their relationship.
According to court documents, the victim picked up Gajraj to smoke and discuss threatening communications he had received from Pirela. Despite his concerns, Gajraj reportedly told him that her boyfriend had no method of tracing their whereabouts.
Around 2:00 a.m., they were stopped on Peppermill Trail when a white Toyota Camry obstructed their path. A masked gunman emerged and began firing with a weapon loaded with an extended magazine. While the victim managed to reverse and speed away, authorities discovered 21 shell casings on the street and 13 bullet holes in his automobile.
While Gajraj initially claimed she did not see the shooter, digital evidence suggested otherwise.
Investigators discovered a trail of texts on a texting program that showed the couple planning the murder for hours.
Records reveal Gajraj even tweaked the ambush plan, advising Pirela to call her from a blocked number to “earn the victim’s trust” before sending a final location pin just 12 minutes before the first shots were fired.
Gajraj’s sentence is less than a year and a half long because she was given credit for 602 days previously served.
Her lover, Pirela, was found guilty by a jury in January and is currently awaiting his own sentencing on April 7.
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