As I Lay Dying Singer Arrested In Murder Plot

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As I Lay Dying singer Tim Lambesis was arrested in California on Tuesday for allegedly being involved in a murder-for-hire plot targeted at his estranged wife.

According to Reuters, who spoke to San Diego County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Jan Caldwell, the 32-year-old heavy-metal musician was taken into custody in Oceanside, Calif. on charges that he "sought the help of an undercover detective" to kill his spouse. "The information came to us late last week. We acted quickly on it. I believe that we averted a great tragedy," Caldwell said.

A founding member of the San Diego group As I Lay Dying, Lambesis and the band have been touring Asia over the past month. He tweeted on  Monday, writing: "Goodbye China. I'll be home in about 15 hours."

In the past, the band has been referred to as a Christian group but in a recent interview with website Noisecreep, Lambesis said that they no longer wanted to be judged on their "personal beliefs," but rather solely on their music.

Lambesis bandmates issued a statement on Wednesday, saying, "As we post this, the legal process is taking it's course and we have no more information than you do. There are many unanswered questions, and the situation will become clearer in the coming days and weeks. We'll keep you informed as best we can."

According to the news agency, Lambesis is being charged with three federal counts, one count of solicitation to commit murder and two counts of conspiracy to commit crime, and is expected to appear in court for an arraignment on Wednesday or Thursday.