SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A Central Florida attorney and his TikTok influencer daughter are behind bars tonight, accused in a shocking murder-for-hire plot targeting pop singer Jack Avery, the father of her child.
Federal investigators say Lake Mary attorney Francisco Gonzalez and his daughter, social media influencer Gabriela “Gabbie” Gonzalez, orchestrated a scheme to have Avery killed during a bitter custody dispute over the couple’s daughter.
Authorities believe the plot involved surveillance, the use of a private investigator, and ultimately a $10,000 payment intended to stage Avery’s death as a car accident.
According to newly released court documents, investigators believe the alleged scheme dates back to 2021, during what officials described as a “longstanding custody and visitation” battle involving Avery and Gabriela Gonzalez.
Avery says in new court documents, he fears for his life and is asking a judge for full custody of the couple’s 7-year-old daughter, claiming Gabriela Gonzalez is too unstable to parent.
Gabriela Gonzalez built a large following online, sharing her life with more than 400,000 Instagram followers and a sizable TikTok audience.
Her social media posts include family moments, milestones with her daughter, and at one point-- the ups and downs of her relationship with Avery, a former member of boy band Why Don’t We. Many of the posts with Avery have since been deleted from their accounts.
The pair began dating in 2018. A year later, Gonzalez gave birth to their daughter at age 17.
Now, the California-based singer is seeking both a restraining order and full custody, alleging Gonzalez wanted him dead.
Gabriela Gonzalez is currently being held in Los Angeles, accused in the alleged murder-for-hire scheme. Her father, Francisco Gonzalez, appeared before a Seminole County judge Thursday after investigators accused him of paying $10,000 to have Avery killed in a staged crash.
Investigators say Francisco Gonzalez became “deeply involved” in the custody dispute and allegedly took steps to coordinate the plot.
Authorities say he will be extradited to California for prosecution.
In an interview last year on “The Zach Sang Show,” Avery revealed the FBI had informed him they were investigating someone who may have hired a hitman to kill him.
At the time, he did not publicly identify who investigators suspected.
“I stayed in my house for like a month straight. I didn’t leave,” Avery said during the interview. “I was so scared. I was looking out my window every night.”
In another moment from the interview, Avery suggested someone wanted to eliminate him “to get stress out of their life.”
Francisco Gonzalez remains in custody at the Seminole County Jail awaiting extradition to California. Gabriela Gonzalez remains jailed in Los Angeles County.
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