A Hialeah woman who drove to Southwest Florida to help a friend put up Christmas decorations is dead after authorities said her ex-boyfriend stabbed her multiple times.
Leosbey Cuesta de Armas, 31, who was arrested in Polk County, faces charges of second-degree murder and burglary with battery in Lee County.
Just before 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, Lee County sheriff’s deputies responded to the 300 block of Lake Avenue, in Lehigh Acres, Sheriff Carmine Marceno said during a Nov. 10 news conference.
Deputies found the victim suffered several stab wounds to her chest.
“The victim died at the scene,” Marceno said. He later described what detectives uncovered as “truly horrifying.”
Marceno said the victim traveled to Lehigh Acres with her children to spend time with friends and put up Christmas decorations.
“After several hours, a resident of the house went to get something out of the pantry and noticed the door seemed stuck,” Marceno said. “When she looked through the small opening of the door, she saw the suspect.”
Marceno said Cuesta de Armas glared at the resident as he held a knife.
The witness, according to Marceno, screamed in terror as Cuesta de Armas ran past her “and immediately attacked the victim.”
When the victim collapsed, Marceno said, Cuesta de Armas got on top of her and continued to stab her.
“Once he was done, he stood up and ran from the residence not saying one word,” Marceno said, adding that he did not harm anyone else at the home. It was not clear if he took any items, as it relates to the burglary charge.
Authorities learned Cuesta de Armas was driving north through Florida. His last-known whereabouts were in Hardee County, Marceno said.
On Nov. 9, Hardee County sheriff’s deputies and fugitive warrants detectives found Cuesta de Armas in his vehicle and attempted to make contact.
“As soon as he saw law enforcement approaching, he sped away, leading them on a pursuit through Hardee County into Polk County.
Local authorities, along with Florida Highway Patrol troopers, took Cuesta de Armas into custody after he crashed.
Cuesta de Armas was not invited into the Lehigh Acres home, Marceno said.
“He basically stalked, went in, committed a burglary while inside, and a battery, and here we are,” Marceno said.
Marceno said Cuesta de Armas did not have a prior criminal history.
“Domestic violence is incredibly hard to stop,” Marceno said. “We can’t physically knock on everybody’s door and ask them, ‘How is your situation?'”
This was the third major incident in Lehigh Acres in the past two weeks. One of the other two incidents involved death.
Three people died Nov. 3 in what authorities ruled a murder-suicide, and stemming from a separate incident that same day, a husband and wife remain in custody without bond after officials described a failed “suicide pact.”
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Bluesky @tomasfrodriguez.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Hialeah man accused of murder in Lehigh Acres, Lee County Sheriff says