Hurricane Katrina hero whose rock-solid marriage inspired best-selling book and widespread admiration ‘tried to have ex-wife killed'

• Abdulrahman Zeitoun, 54, was charged with hiring inmate to kill his ex-wife, her son and a male friend for $20,000
• Zeitoun was the protagonist of a 2009 nonfiction book detailing his acts of heroism during Hurricane Katrina
• Dave Eggers' book focused on Abdulrahman and Kathy Zeitoun's happy marriage
• Zeitoun was unlawfully detained for 23 days during the disaster after police mistook him for a terror suspect
• The Syrian-born man was arrested twice for allegedly attacking his wife

Abdulrahman Zeitoun, a loving husband and Hurricane Katrina hero whose acts of bravery and unjust incarceration inspired a nonfiction book, has been charged with hiring a hit man to kill his ex-wife and two other people.
Zeitoun, 54, was booked on three counts of solicitation of murder on Thursday for hiring an Orleans Parish inmate to kill his ex-wife, Kathy, her son from a previous marriage and another man who was often seen in her company, according to New Orleans police spokesperson Remi Braden.
The inmate, Donald Pugh, told police that Zeitoun gave him Kathy Zeitoun's cell phone number instructed him to pose as a prospective tenant for one of her rental properties. He was then told to kill her and the two other men once inside the vacant home in exchange for $20,000 – as long as the couple’s four children were not present, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

Unraveled marriage: Abdulrahman Zeitoun, right, is accused of trying to have his ex-wife, Kathy, left, murdered after their once-loving relationship has turned sour

The Syrian-born New Orleans resident has gained notoriety after spending days rescuing stranded neighbors in his tin canoe and handing out water in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, ABC News reported.
Zeitoun, who is Muslim, was wrongfully arrested by the police and National Guardsmen who mistook him for a terrorism suspect and spent 23 days in lockup without a hearing or the chance to let his wife know of his whereabouts. The dramatic saga was chronicled in the critically acclaimed 2009 nonfiction book Zeitoun by Dave Eggers.

 

One of the focal points of Eggers’ book is the Zeitouns’ loving, happy marriage. But in the years since the volume was published, the relationship between the couple has come undone.  
Mr Zeitoun was placed on probation for a March 2011 attack on his wife. A police report cited by the Smoking Gun described Zeitoun as pushing Kathy to the floor and punching her in the head. The assault prompted Kathy Zeitoun to file for divorce, which was finalized last year.
Zeitoun was arrested again last month after police said he hit Kathy’s windshield with a tire iron on a New Orleans street and struck her with it after she exited her car. The Times-Picayune reported that ‘Kathy Zeitoun said he later punched and choked her before a bystander intervened.’

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Zeitoun had been still in jail in connection to the July attack when he was charged with soliciting the murders. 
The New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that Kathy Zeitoun, her son and the husband of a friend, Ahmad Al-Akoum, were supposed to be killed while her ex-husband was behind bars to ensure that he would not be a suspect.
However, instead of carrying out the murders, the would-be hit man revealed the plot to police. Pugh was able to pick Zeitoun out of a photo lineup and produced an envelope with Kathy Zeitoun's phone number written on it.
Dave Eggers, author of the bestselling novel, and Jonathan Demme, a filmmaker who has expressed interest in adapting the book into an animated film, issued a joint statement and said they have been in daily contact with Kathy Zeitoun since the July 25 attack.

Hero: Zeitoun gained fame during Hurricane Katrina after spending days rescuing his stranded neighbors in his tin canoe and handing out water

‘Our primary concern is for the safety and well-being of Kathy and the children. As the investigation proceeds, we hope that you will join us in respecting the Zeitoun family's privacy at this difficult time,’ they wrote.
The New York Times reported that ‘in an interview with The New Orleans Times-Picayune, Ms Zeitoun said the book had accurately portrayed their relationship at the time. But she said her ex-husband had since grown angrier and more violent and his Islamic views had become more ‘radical.’’
After the book, the Zeitouns and Mr Eggers started a foundation to aid in the revitalization of New Orleans which has distributed more than $250,000 in grants, according to its website.
Zeitoun is being held on $999,000 bond for the solicitation to murder charges and $150,000 for the domestic abuse charge.