Roosevelt man gets 20 years to life for brutal stabbing of ex in front of toddler
Mineola, NY – A Nassau County courtroom delivered a life sentence to a Roosevelt man who admitted to stabbing his ex-girlfriend more than 30 times inside her Hempstead apartment while their two-year-old son was present.
Jose William Funes-Zabala, 44, was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and endangering the welfare of a child in the October 2024 killing of 29-year-old Brenda Guadoloupe Alfaro Alcantara.
Prosecutors said that on October 5, 2024, at approximately 5:58 p.m., Funes-Zabala went to Alfaro Alcantara’s basement apartment on Botsford Street in Hempstead to visit their son. An argument began after he learned she had started dating someone.
During the confrontation, Funes-Zabala stabbed Alfaro Alcantara approximately 35 times in her bedroom while their toddler was present. About an hour later, at approximately 6:58 p.m., he was seen leaving the apartment with what appeared to be blood on his face before fleeing the scene.
Family members later discovered the victim and the child after being unable to reach her. The child was not physically injured.
Funes-Zabala was arrested the following day at Nassau University Medical Center by members of the Nassau County Police Department Homicide Squad.
He pleaded guilty on October 29, 2025, before Judge Howard Sturim to murder in the second degree, an A-I felony, and endangering the welfare of a child. Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly had recommended a sentence of 25 years to life.
Key Points
- Jose Funes-Zabala was sentenced to 20 years to life for murdering his ex-girlfriend in Hempstead
- The victim was stabbed more than 30 times while their two-year-old son was present
- The defendant pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and child endangerment