Woman Who Tried to Kill Lover’s Wife Gets Life

A Glendale woman convicted of attempted murder for paying a hit man $4,000 in a failed plot to kill her lover’s wife was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday.

Rosa Maldonado, 39, sat quietly listening to an interpreter as Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elizabeth A. Grimes explained how much prison time she faced in connection with the November 1999 shooting of Olga Olguin.

Grimes sentenced Maldonado to life in prison with the possibility of parole for attempted murder, 25 years to life for conspiracy to commit murder, and six years for solicitation to commit murder.

She is expected to serve more than 21 years before she is eligible for parole, authorities said.

The judge also fined Maldonado $10,000 and required her to pay any expenses--including medical costs--incurred by Olga Olguin because of Maldonado’s acts.

Olguin, who was shot in the back of the head while walking her children to school in Lincoln Heights, survived and testified during the trial. Bullet fragments remain lodged in her head, causing hearing problems and other discomfort, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Renee Urman.

Olguin, 44, said Wednesday that Maldonado got what she deserved.

“What she wanted to do was kill me and take me from my children,” Olguin said in Spanish outside court. Her son, Alexco, translated for reporters.

Olga Olguin and her husband, Alejandro Olguin--who admits he had an affair with Maldonado--are still together. Alejandro Olguin said he regretted getting involved with Maldonado.

“She hurt . . . my wife and my kids,” he said. “She didn’t have to do that.”

During the trial, the prosecution said Maldonado paid hit man Roberto Felix $4,000 as a down payment and offered to pay him a total of $7,000 to $9,000. He was to kill Olga Olguin so that Maldonado could have Olguin’s husband to herself.

Separate juries convicted Maldonado and Felix last month. Franklin Adler, Maldonado’s lawyer, said he plans to appeal, saying that his client was illegally coerced by police to talk to them.

Sentencing for Felix, who was convicted of the same charges as Maldonado, is scheduled May 11.

Alexco Olguin said he and his family will be at Felix’s sentencing too. The family hopes Felix receives a sentence similar to Maldonado’s.

“This is the best,” Alexco Olguin said. “This is closure.”