Police arrested a 48-year-old local physician yesterday in an alleged murder-for-hire scheme whose target was his son’s mother.

The doctor allegedly solicited a patient to murder the 44-year-old woman, who police say is the mother of his son.

According to police, the doctor allegedly told his patient that he is going through great financial difficulty and wanted the woman killed.

At about 11 a.m. Saturday he then allegedly offered to pay him if he killed her, police said.

Instead, the patient went to the woman and warned her of the physician’s intentions, police said. The woman then reported to police what the patient told her.

Police located the doctor and arrested him in Wahiawa on suspicion of criminal solicitation to commit murder and violation of a temporary restraining order.

Police held him at the Wahiawa police station until he was transferred last night.

Such cases are unusual in Hawaii, police said.

In 2008 a 50-year-old Waikiki man was indicted on two counts of criminal solicitation to commit murder. He allegedly solicited a hit man to kill his ex-wife’s husband.

In 2006 a 41-year-old Maui man pleaded no contest to the lesser charge of conspiracy to commit murder for allegedly hiring two hit men to kill a 33-year-old man who was allegedly romantically involved with his wife.