Jose William Funes-Zabala, 44, of Roosevelt, pleaded guilty in Nassau County Court Wednesday, Oct. 29, to murder and related charges in the slaying of 29-year-old Brenda Guadalupe Alfaro-Alcantara.
The brutal attack happened on Oct. 5, 2024, while Funes-Zabala was visiting their young son at Alfaro-Alcantara’s Hempstead basement apartment, as Daily Voice reported. Prosecutors argued he flew into a rage after learning the victim had begun dating someone new.
Detectives said Funes-Zabala grabbed a knife and stabbed Alfaro-Alcantara roughly 35 times in her bedroom, leaving deep wounds across her body as their 2-year-old son watched on.
The boy was left at the scene, crying and covered in his mother’s blood, after Funes-Zabala fled. Relatives later discovered the child next to his mother’s body.
Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly called the crime “a horrific act of violence that stole a woman’s life and the innocence of a young child.” Funes-Zabala is expected to be sentenced to 20 years to life in December.
Relatives Say Warnings Were Ignored
Alfaro-Alcantara’s loved ones say the tragedy was years in the making, as Daily Voice reported.
“For years, we knew something was wrong with him,” Funes-Zabala’s cousin, Yessenia Funes, wrote on a GoFundMe page. “He would terrorize his little cousins. He attacked another ex, the mother of his older son. Then, in 2022, we truly understood how much of a monster he was.”
Court and hospital records show that when Funes-Zabala’s son was just two weeks old, he was admitted to the hospital with a broken leg. Doctors could not rule out an accident, and the baby was returned home. Just months later, the child was hospitalized again with a fractured skull, bleeding on the brain, a broken rib, and other injuries.
Believing the injuries were caused by abuse, the state removed the infant from his parents’ custody. The boy lived for a year with a relative before being returned to Alfaro-Alcantara.
“The state had no clear evidence that those injuries came from him,” Funes said. “He should’ve been put behind bars. We’re still angry that more wasn’t done.”
‘She Leaves Behind A 2-Year-Old Son’
Relatives remember Alfaro-Alcantara as a devoted mother doing her best with limited resources.
“She leaves behind a 2-year-old son who won’t remember her voice or the warmth of her hugs,” Funes said, noting the boy was “still asking for her.”
The child is now living with the same relative who cared for him previously.
“We are glad he’s safe and happy to care for him, but Rebecca wasn’t prepared for this — financially, emotionally. Unprepared,” Funes said.
A fundraiser launched to help support the boy had raised more than $9,000 within days of Alfaro-Alcantara’s murder. Those who wish to donate can do so via GoFundMe here.
Next Steps
Funes-Zabala will return to court for sentencing on Thursday, Dec. 18. Prosecutors have recommended a term of 25 years to life.
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