Former Food Network chef to be sentenced in murder plot
December 13th, 2010
01:21 AM ET

Former Food Network chef to be sentenced in murder plot

The former host of the Food Network's "Calorie Commando" is expected to be sentenced Monday after he pleaded "no contest" to a charge of soliciting two homeless men to kill his wife.

Juan-Carlos Cruz's plea agreement calls for a nine-year sentence, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said in late October after the plea was announced.

One count of attempted murder was dropped as part of the plea settlement, the prosecutor said at the time.

Fertility issues were at the center of Cruz's motivation in the murder-for-hire plot to kill his wife, according to sources close to the couple.

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Filed under: California • Crime
soundoff (27 Responses)
  1. mmi16

    Who? Never heard of him.

    December 13, 2010 at 3:43 am | Report abuse |
  2. j

    since when was murder the superior option to divorce?

    December 13, 2010 at 4:15 am | Report abuse |
  3. Newshound

    He will be able to make all the grits and fried bologna, with that special presentation.

    December 13, 2010 at 4:18 am | Report abuse |
  4. Kevin

    WAIT. There was an episode of LAW AND ORDER just like this about 6 years ago. The Chef was even Hispanic.

    December 13, 2010 at 4:44 am | Report abuse |
    • Pete

      Thats true, I remember that one. He looked like that Rocco guy in New York who had a show about a failed restuarant. I thought Rocco was gonna kill his business partner because the guy wanted Rocco to fire his Momma. Now that would be news!

      December 13, 2010 at 7:22 am | Report abuse |
  5. Bob h Bob

    The homeless need jobs so they will not be stalked by tv personalities.

    December 13, 2010 at 5:10 am | Report abuse |
  6. EvoDevo

    Kevin, How do you know he was hispanic? Sounds like name profiling to me. You should be ashamed.

    December 13, 2010 at 6:07 am | Report abuse |
    • Mark

      You, Evo, are an idiot

      December 13, 2010 at 6:30 am | Report abuse |
    • Dexter

      Same way I can tell you are an obese American!

      December 13, 2010 at 8:54 am | Report abuse |
    • janda

      I'll bet money he wasn't a Chinaman!

      December 13, 2010 at 9:03 am | Report abuse |
  7. ha

    of course he is hispanic. juan cruz-not an african or europe name. grow up every race has nuts.

    December 13, 2010 at 6:32 am | Report abuse |
  8. joe

    firtility issues? What was the matter? Chef couldn't get the bun in the oven?

    December 13, 2010 at 7:14 am | Report abuse |
    • joe

      Fertility

      December 13, 2010 at 7:15 am | Report abuse |
    • steeve-o

      Yeah, and so the most logical solution to that problem is to have her killed. Jeezus.
      Why didn't he just go knock up another woman? Divorce your wife and get another more fertile wife.
      This man got no cojones.

      December 13, 2010 at 8:11 am | Report abuse |
    • AnotherJoe

      "murder"?

      "get another more fertile wife"?

      A bit Henry VIII, don't you think?

      December 13, 2010 at 9:17 am | Report abuse |
  9. Papa T

    Sweeny Todd and the meat pies?

    December 13, 2010 at 7:33 am | Report abuse |
  10. Pinball

    All prisons should have their own gourmet CHEF....don't you think?

    December 13, 2010 at 7:38 am | Report abuse |
  11. slupdawg

    Appears he was trying to lose 120 pounds without changing his eating habits.. A low-cal chef should know better.

    December 13, 2010 at 7:45 am | Report abuse |
  12. Madibaman

    Looks like it was a half-baked plan...

    December 13, 2010 at 9:22 am | Report abuse |
  13. Grizzle

    What is wrong with people? Really?

    December 13, 2010 at 9:44 am | Report abuse |
  14. Lisababy

    Now they'll have rotten chicken burrritos instead of rotten roast chicken. Yum Yum!

    December 13, 2010 at 10:16 am | Report abuse |
  15. cynthia

    ...Oh, I guess the guillotene was all booked up-

    December 13, 2010 at 10:35 am | Report abuse |
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