Who Is Arrested Celebrity Chef Juan-Carlos Cruz?

May 17, 2010 — -- He used to cook gourmet dishes for the rich and famous; now, Juan-Carlos Cruz is in the stir.

The former Food Network star awaits arraignment today after being arrested for allegedly trying to hire homeless men to kill his wife. Cruz was booked on solicitation to commit murder Thursday.

According to Santa Monica, Calif., Sgt. Jay Trisler, three homeless men told the city's homeless liaison officers that Cruz asked them to kill someone. They agreed to help police investigate the alleged murder-for-hire plot.

"They felt confident that they could divulge this information and be treated fairly and be listened to," Trisler told The Associated Press.

While police have notified the intended victim, they have refrained from identifying the person publicly because of the ongoing investigation. TMZ.com and other news outlets claim Cruz's target was his wife, Jennifer Campbell, his high school sweetheart.

Detectives discovered where, when and how the targeted individual was to be killed and how much money Cruz allegedly offered, Trisler told the AP.

According to TMZ.com, Cruz offered the men $1,000 to slit his target's throat. When one of the men, identified in court papers as Big Dave, said he didn't want to kill anyone in public, Cruz allegedly gave him the code to his apartment so he could strangle the intended victim.