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Long Island resident Brenda Guadalupe Alfaro-Alcantara, age 29, was found with multiple stab wounds in the basement of her Hempstead home on Botsford Street at around 8:40 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5.
She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Nassau County Police.
Detectives arrested a suspect, 43-year-old Jose Funes-Zabala, of Roosevelt, on Monday afternoon, Oct. 7. He is charged with second-degree murder and endangering the welfare of a child.
Earlier Report: Murder Suspect Nabbed, ID Released Of 29-Year-Old Woman Found Dead At Hempstead Home
Alfaro-Alcantara’s death was a tragedy years in the making, Funes-Zabala’s cousin, Yessenia Funes, wrote on a GoFundMe page.
“For years, we knew something was wrong with him. He would terrorize his little cousins. He attacked another ex, the mother of his older son,” Funes said. “Then, in 2022, we truly understood how much of a monster he was.”
When Funes-Zabala’s son was just 2 weeks old, he was admitted to NYU Langone Hospital for severe injuries that included a broken leg.
“The doctors said it could've been an accident, so he was returned home,” Funes writes on the fundraiser. “Then, two and a half months later, the baby returned to the hospital.”
This time, the boy had a fractured skull, bleeding in his brain and eye, a broken rib, and a broken finger. Believing the injuries to be caused by physical abuse, the state removed the child from his parents’ custody.
After spending a year in the care of a relative, the child was returned to the custody of his mother, Alfaro-Alcantara. Relatives spent months fighting with the court, demanding they do more to protect them, Funes said.
“The state had no clear evidence that those injuries came from him,” she said. “He should’ve been put behind bars. We're still angry that more wasn’t done.”
The young boy was present when his mother was murdered, Funes said. Police found him covered in blood, crying.
“He’s still asking for her,” Funes said.
She remembered Alfaro-Alcantara as a “committed mother” who was doing the best she could to raise her son with what little she had.
“She leaves behind a 2-year-old son who won’t remember her voice or the warmth of her hugs,” Funes said.
In the wake of his mom’s murder, the boy is now back with Rebecca Flores, the same relative who cared for him before.
“We are glad he’s safe and happy to care for him, but Rebecca wasn’t prepared for this. Financially. Emotionally. Unprepared," Funes said. “We don’t know yet what the state will decide and if they’ll leave him in our care.”
The family has seen a swelling of support on the GoFundMe campaign, which had raised over $9,000 as of Tuesday, Oct. 8. Those who wish to donate can do so here.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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