Two Florida teens accused of plotting a gruesome “blood ritual” mass murder at their high school were caught on video cracking jokes and laughing in the back of a police car after they’d been apprehended.
The video surfaced this week when prosecutors presented it in a bond hearing for Lois Olivios Lippert, 14, and Isabelle Aurelia Valdez, 15, both of Altamonte Springs, a suburb of Orlando.
Prosecutors argued the teens — who joked about the killing and how one of them would look in their mug shots — pose a danger to the community and should remain behind bars.
The pair allegedly wanted to “resurrect” the Sandy Hook school shooting, according to court documents. Valdez reportedly was obsessed with Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza and was inspired by his horrific 2012 murder spree that resulted in the deaths of 20 elementary school children.
Police arrested the Florida pair in January after authorities received a tip that a student known as “Jimmy” was planning to kill a classmate at Lake Brantley High School, according to the the arrest report by Altamonte Springs police.
Detectives later identified “Jimmy” as Valdez.
In the patrol car video played in court, Valdez tells Lippert she had planned to “do my makeup this morning for the mugshot” but couldn’t find anything before school.
“I’m glad I don’t look too bad today,” Lippert replied.
“At least they will see me in the mugshot some way or another,” Valdez responded.
The two also joked about becoming a “lesbian couple in jail.”
Assistant State Attorney Domenick Leo told the judge that “there are no conditions of release reasonably sufficient to protect the community from the risk of physical harm.”
The court ordered both defendants held without bond.
Both teens are charged with attempted murder and will be tried as adults instead of the juvenile system.
Court documents detail what prosecutors describe as a twisted motive behind the alleged plot, Fox News Digital reported.
“It was learned that the victim reminded [Valdez] of Adam Lanza and that she believed if she killed the victim, she would have a blood bond with Adam Lanza, which would resurrect him from the dead,” a court motion states.
Investigators allege Valdez sent Discord messages declaring, “holy shit im gonna make a blood ritual for adam lanza LMAOOOO,” telling Lippert “it’s gonna be over by tomorrow,” and asking her to bring latex gloves.
According to the news outlet:
Authorities said the pair planned to ambush the victim inside a school restroom, stab him in the stomach or cut his throat, leave flowers at the scene and then smoke a cigarette afterward. Prosecutors told the court the teens discussed bringing a knife to school and sharpening and testing the blade in a restroom before the planned attack.
Investigators also allege Lippert drew images depicting the victim dead and hanging from a rope next to Valdez, along with sexually explicit sketches of the classmate.
Police credit “if you see something, say something” with preventing the homicidal attack when a student contacted police about the alleged plot.
The pair are expected to be tried together in a Florida circuit court.
Trying them as adults allows the court to pronounce lengthy prison sentences, whereas juvenile systems typically can only hold juveniles until they reach adulthood — even those convicted of homicide.
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the author of the New York Times true crime best seller House of Secrets and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
