ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The lookout in a deadly home invasion case that forever changed the operation of Orange County corrections admitted to her role in the slaying of Alex Zaldivar Thursday.
Sherria Gordon is the girlfriend of Bessman Okafor, who is charged with Zaldivar's murder.
Zaldivar, a 19-year-old student, was scheduled to testify against Okafor in a previous home invasion the night he was shot and killed.
Okafor was supposed to be on home confinement at the time.
In court, Gordon laid out what happened that night before a judge Thursday.
It was an emotional morning for Zaldivar's parents.
"She knew everything that was going on, she had a chance to save my son. She was the last link, she failed my son," said father Rafael Zaldivar.
Gordon was pregnant with Okafor's child the night of Zaldivar's slaying.
"He called me, he said 'Get up, get ready', he was going to come get me," Gordon said.
Thursday, she admitted to a judge that she waited near the Ocoee home, and even called Okafor after she heard sirens.
"He put the phone down, and all I heard was him asking someone else 'Was it done, did you do what you had to do?' He said, 'Yeah, it's done,'" Gordon said.
Gordon claimed not to know that Okafor planned to kill Zaldivar, who was scheduled to testify against Okafor for a separate home invasion case the very next day.
As part of her plea Thursday, she agreed to testify against Okafor, putting her maximum sentence at 25 years.
"I'm telling you, they're better off in prison because I would have done it myself already," said Rafael Zaldivar
Okafor has pleaded not guilty to all charges for both home invasions.
"I have nothing to lose. Nothing," Rafael Zaldivar said.
WFTV
