WASHINGTON – Montgomery County police have arrested a Gaithersburg man on a murder-for-hire charge.

Police say Ndokey P. Enow, 37, wanted to kill his ex-wife. The price was $1,000.

But police say he made a mistake when he tried to hire an undercover officer to do the job. Now Enow is being held without bond and faces charges of soliciting a contract for murder and attempted first-degree murder.

Montgomery County prosecutor Debbie Feinstine says Enow has an extensive record of domestic abuse and once tracked down his ex-wife in a shelter by posing as a potential employer. In 2012 he assaulted her and in 2011 put her in the hospital with a broken jaw.

He’s been found guilty of violating protection orders involving his wife and daughter in the past.

WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report from Rockville. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and on Facebook.