Arrested: Melisa Schonfield, 57, a social worker, has been charged with arranging a hit on her daughter's ex-boyfriend . The daughter of an upstate New York social worker who has been charged in a murder-for-hire plot targeting her ex-boyfriend spoke out in her defense Tuesday. Melisa Schonfield, 57, was arrested Friday after allegedly hiring an undercover detective in the parking lot of a Walmart to kill Ernesto Negrillo. The mother-of-two, who is married to a well-respected dentist, had allegedly agreed to pay the bogus hit man $11,000, telling the officer the best way to dispose of the body was 'feeding it to alligators.' The allegations stunned Schonfield's daughter, 31-year-old Alexis Schnofield, who learned of her mother's arrest on Facebook. The woman, who has a 2-year-old son with Negrillo, said her ex-boyfriend had been verbally abusive toward her, but she noted that her mother has not admitted to trying to have him killed. ‘This only happens on a Lifetime movie, she said with tears in her eyes in an exclusive interview with ABC News. ‘My mom is not a monster. She's not the mom that I grew up with, that I know.’ According to court filings, Mrs Schonfield's husband, prominent upstate New York dentist Robert Schnofield, knew about the murder-for-hire plot and even joked about the possibility of his wife getting caught. But in her interview with ABC News, Alexis dismissed the notion that her father had any prior knowledge of the alleged assassination conspiracy. Supporting her mom: Alexis Schonfield (left and right) defended her mother, saying that she is not a monster . Wife and mother: Schonfield, 57, (left) is married to respected dentist Robert Schonfield (right), who may have known about the plot . Target: Schonfield was allegedly trying to get rid of Ernesto Negrillo, 36 (pictured), who is the father of her 2-year-old grandson . Family: Schonfield, pictured with her husband Robert and daughter Alexis, is believed to have agreed a fee of $11,000 for the hit. She was held on $250,000 bail and is still in jail . Although in court papers Ernesto Negrillo has been described as Melissa Schonfield's son-in-law, the Florida man revealed to the Huffington Post that he and Alexis were never married. Speaking to the news site Monday, Mr Negrillo said he does not know why his former girlfriend’s mother would want him dead. ‘It's just f***ed up,’ he said. ‘I don't know why she would want to kill me. I haven't spoken to her in a long time.’ Negrillo said that he and Alexis broke up in 2012, just months after the birth of their son, and went their separate ways. The 36-year-old man said that he has not had any dealings with the Schonfield family in a long time, making the alleged murder-for-hire plot even more puzzling to him. But in her interview with Huffington Post, Alexis Schonfield offered a possible motive. ‘She was trying to protect my son and she got tired of watching me cry,’ she said. ‘I've been an emotional basket case the past two years.’ Bad romance: Alexis Schonfield said Negrillo was emotionally and verbally abusive toward her during their on-again, off-again relationship . Mystery: Negrillo said he and Alexis broke up two years ago, and he has not had any dealings with her family since then . A detective wrote in a report that Robert Schonfield (center) joked about the possibility that his wife (left) might get caught . The 31-year-old mother of one described her on-again, off-again relationship with Ernesto Negrillo as volatile and marred by emotional and verbal abuse on his part - a claim Negrillo has denied. Mr Negrilo said he now pities Melissa Schonfield, who will not be there for her grandson because of her ill-conceived actions. Melissa Schonfield met Jefferson County Sheriff's Detective Dave Pustizzi inside her car parked at a Walmart in Watertown, New York, last Friday to arrange a hit on Ernesto Negrillo, according to court papers. Father: Ernesto Negrillo, who lives in Holywood, Florida, said he pities his son's grandmother . Motive: Alexis said her mother, pictured right next to her husband, Robert, was just trying to protect her young grandson . After handing over an initial payment of $5,500 to the undercover cop, she was picked up by patrol cars. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department charged the 57-year-old married mother of two with second-degree conspiracy and second-degree criminal solicitation. According to Dr Schonfield's website: 'In addition to being wife, mother and grandmother; Melisa continues to focus on her own career as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She has totally embraced the grandmother role and has commented that being a grandparent is much less stressful than being a parent!
Melisa Schonfield, 57, accused of arranging contract killing in a upstate New York Walmart parking lot .
She allegedly agreed to pay an undercover cop $11,000 for the hit .
Her daughter, Alexis, said Schonfield was just trying to protect her young son from her ex-boyfriend, Ernesto Negrillo .
Negrillo denied being abusive to Alexis Schonfield and said he has not spoken to her family in a long time .
Melissa Schonfield is married to respected dentist and lives in Brownville, New York .
Arrested: Melisa Schonfield, 57, a social worker, has been charged with arranging a hit on her daughter's ex-boyfriend . The daughter of an upstate New York social worker who has been charged in a murder-for-hire plot targeting her ex-boyfriend spoke out in her defense Tuesday. Melisa Schonfield, 57, was arrested Friday after allegedly hiring an undercover detective in the parking lot of a Walmart to kill Ernesto Negrillo. The mother-of-two, who is married to a well-respected dentist, had allegedly agreed to pay the bogus hit man $11,000, telling the officer the best way to dispose of the body was 'feeding it to alligators.' The allegations stunned Schonfield's daughter, 31-year-old Alexis Schnofield, who learned of her mother's arrest on Facebook. The woman, who has a 2-year-old son with Negrillo, said her ex-boyfriend had been verbally abusive toward her, but she noted that her mother has not admitted to trying to have him killed. ‘This only happens on a Lifetime movie, she said with tears in her eyes in an exclusive interview with ABC News. ‘My mom is not a monster. She's not the mom that I grew up with, that I know.’ According to court filings, Mrs Schonfield's husband, prominent upstate New York dentist Robert Schnofield, knew about the murder-for-hire plot and even joked about the possibility of his wife getting caught. But in her interview with ABC News, Alexis dismissed the notion that her father had any prior knowledge of the alleged assassination conspiracy. Supporting her mom: Alexis Schonfield (left and right) defended her mother, saying that she is not a monster . Wife and mother: Schonfield, 57, (left) is married to respected dentist Robert Schonfield (right), who may have known about the plot . Target: Schonfield was allegedly trying to get rid of Ernesto Negrillo, 36 (pictured), who is the father of her 2-year-old grandson . Family: Schonfield, pictured with her husband Robert and daughter Alexis, is believed to have agreed a fee of $11,000 for the hit. She was held on $250,000 bail and is still in jail . Although in court papers Ernesto Negrillo has been described as Melissa Schonfield's son-in-law, the Florida man revealed to the Huffington Post that he and Alexis were never married. Speaking to the news site Monday, Mr Negrillo said he does not know why his former girlfriend’s mother would want him dead. ‘It's just f***ed up,’ he said. ‘I don't know why she would want to kill me. I haven't spoken to her in a long time.’ Negrillo said that he and Alexis broke up in 2012, just months after the birth of their son, and went their separate ways. The 36-year-old man said that he has not had any dealings with the Schonfield family in a long time, making the alleged murder-for-hire plot even more puzzling to him. But in her interview with Huffington Post, Alexis Schonfield offered a possible motive. ‘She was trying to protect my son and she got tired of watching me cry,’ she said. ‘I've been an emotional basket case the past two years.’ Bad romance: Alexis Schonfield said Negrillo was emotionally and verbally abusive toward her during their on-again, off-again relationship . Mystery: Negrillo said he and Alexis broke up two years ago, and he has not had any dealings with her family since then . A detective wrote in a report that Robert Schonfield (center) joked about the possibility that his wife (left) might get caught . The 31-year-old mother of one described her on-again, off-again relationship with Ernesto Negrillo as volatile and marred by emotional and verbal abuse on his part - a claim Negrillo has denied. Mr Negrilo said he now pities Melissa Schonfield, who will not be there for her grandson because of her ill-conceived actions. Melissa Schonfield met Jefferson County Sheriff's Detective Dave Pustizzi inside her car parked at a Walmart in Watertown, New York, last Friday to arrange a hit on Ernesto Negrillo, according to court papers. Father: Ernesto Negrillo, who lives in Holywood, Florida, said he pities his son's grandmother . Motive: Alexis said her mother, pictured right next to her husband, Robert, was just trying to protect her young grandson . After handing over an initial payment of $5,500 to the undercover cop, she was picked up by patrol cars. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department charged the 57-year-old married mother of two with second-degree conspiracy and second-degree criminal solicitation. According to Dr Schonfield's website: 'In addition to being wife, mother and grandmother; Melisa continues to focus on her own career as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She has totally embraced the grandmother role and has commented that being a grandparent is much less stressful than being a parent!
Arrested: Melisa Schonfield, 57, a social worker, upstate New York social worker who has been allegedly hiring an undercover detective in the parking lot of a Walmart to kill Ernesto well-respected dentist, had allegedly agreed to with Negrillo, said her ex-boyfriend had been is married to respected dentist Robert Schonfield of $11,000 for the hit. She was held on $250,000 spoken to her in a long time.’ Negrillo said that had any dealings with the Schonfield family in a ago, and he has not had any dealings with her just trying to protect her young grandson . After