Angry over breakup, 18-year-old sends gun-for-hire to commit robbery — but, ex-boyfriend shoots and kills him

The St Johns County Sheriff’s public information office reported to Historic City News yesterday that deputies arrested an 18-year-old female about 8:54 a.m. in her residence located at 39 Carefree Lane in Ponte Vedra Beach, pursuant to an active Duval County arrest warrant charging her with second-degree murder and solicitation to commit robbery.

Samantha Allison Weiner is in custody at the St Johns County Detention Center located in the Neil J Perry Criminal Justice Complex in St Augustine.  Weiner is being held in lieu of $550,006 bail. Because Duval County has placed a detainer, she will not be released until it is lifted.

“This appears to be a plot to rob an ex-boyfriend, 22-year-old Roman Gerald Steward Jr, that instead resulted in the self-defense shooting death of 20-year-old Ezekiel Trey Archuleta during a September 21, 2020 home-invasion robbery,” a Jacksonville Beach Police spokesman said.  “Beach police officers were called to the residence on Penman Road in Jacksonville Beach near Beach Boulevard at about 1:15 a.m. to a reported burglary in progress with shots fired.”

When they arrived, officers found Archuleta dead from gunshot wounds, lying in the front yard.  The investigation determined that Weiner was Steward’s former girlfriend and that she had asked several people to rob him in retaliation for their recent break-up. Witnesses said Weiner provided Archuleta with information on who lived in the home, how to get inside, and what could be stolen.

“The information provided by Samantha Weiner caused Ezekiel Archuleta to go to the house and in the course of this attempted robbery, ultimately be killed by Roman Steward, ” Sergeant Tonya Tator said.

• Steward was charged with armed possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, and use or possession of drug paraphernalia.  Police said Steward acted in self-defense when he shot and killed Archuleta during the attempted home-invasion robbery.

• Archuleta had been out on bond for multiple charges since August 19, 2020.