Roosevelt man pleads guilty to stabbing ex in front of their toddler

Mineola, N.Y. – A Roosevelt man admitted guilt today to killing his former girlfriend by stabbing her repeatedly in her basement apartment while their two-year-old son was in the same room, and he faces a lengthy prison term when sentenced in December.

Jose William Funes-Zabala, 44, entered guilty pleas before Judge Howard Sturim to Murder in the Second Degree and Endangering the Welfare of a Child after prosecutors say he stabbed 29-year-old Brenda Guadoloupe Alfaro Alcantara approximately 35 times during a visit to her Hempstead basement apartment on Botsford Street. Family members discovered the victim and the child after they were unable to reach her, and Funes-Zabala was arrested the next day at Nassau University Medical Center.

Court records show an order of protection issued on behalf of the victim expired on Oct. 4, 2024, and the killing occurred on Oct. 5, 2024, at about 5:58 p.m. Prosecutors say an argument began after the defendant learned the victim had started dating, and that the attack occurred before relatives arrived. The child was not physically injured but was found soaked in the victim’s blood after the defendant fled the scene.

Funes-Zabala pleaded guilty on Wednesday and is expected to be sentenced to 20 years to life on Dec. 18; prosecutors recommended 25 years to life. The plea resolves a homicide prosecution brought by the Homicide Bureau and handled at arraignment and plea by Senior Litigation Counsel Ania Pulaski under bureau supervision.

The defendant is represented by Brian Carmody, Esq. The case file notes the child’s welfare count is an A misdemeanor and the murder charge is an A-I felony. Victim family members and court officials were present for the plea hearing.

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Key Points

Jose William Funes-Zabala pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and endangering the welfare of a child for the fatal stabbing of his ex-girlfriend
The victim, Brenda Guadoloupe Alfaro Alcantara, was stabbed about 35 times in her Hempstead basement apartment on Oct. 5, 2024, while the couple’s two-year-old son was present

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