Jury finds East Naples woman guilty in 2016 revenge plot that ended in teen's death

A jury found an East Naples woman guilty of second-degree murder in the death of a teen she accused of molesting her daughter. 

Connie Serbu, 43, faces up to life in prison for the 2016 death of Xavier Sierra. The trial, which ended Thursday, took a week at the Collier County Courthouse.

According to court documents and a witness statement, Serbu's daughter told a babysitter that Sierra had touched her five years prior when she was about 5 years old and he was 12 or 13.  

Read:Trial for woman accused of killing one of two men shot in Naples in 2016 begins with jury selection

Deputy Chief Assistant State Attorney Nicole Mira argued that the claim Serbu's daughter made about Sierra was her motivation to kill him. 

On July 7, 2016, Naples Police officers responded to shots fired in an undeveloped area near the 700 block of Goodlette Road North, according to a Naples Police news release. 

While searching the area, police discovered two deceased adult males with gunshot wounds who were later identified as John Vargas, 29 — Serbu's brother— and Sierra, near the Gordon river, according to a news release. 

In June 2016, Serbu contacted Sierra and offered him a way to make easy money by helping her assemble bunk beds, according to court documents. 

She and Vargas met with Sierra in July of 2016 and confronted him about the allegations Serbu's daughter made against him, a news release from the State Attorney's office states. 

They drove Sierra to an undeveloped area and had two stun guns, two handguns, an ice pick and a potato to silence the gun, according to court documents. 

Sierra ran, and Serbu and Varga chased him. Vargas was shot during a struggle for the gun, court documents state. 

Shortly after, Serbu subdued Sierra and shot him one final time in the chest, killing him.

Serbu's sentencing is scheduled for Jan 3. 

Read:Opening statements begin for woman accused of second-degree murder in 2016