A Florida man is facing murder charges after allegedly killing his ex-girlfriend. Leosbey Cuesta de Armas was arrested following a police chase after the killing, which only added to the charges he’s facing. He had left town after allegedly stalking the woman to the home of a friend and stabbing her to death. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he seemingly posted a happy picture of them on social media after his crime.
Police officers responded to a report of someone being stabbed on November 8, 2025. There, they found the body of a woman, Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said during a news conference. The woman, who was not named at the time, had multiple stab wounds and was declared dead at the scene.
Family later identified the woman as 39-year-old mom of two Zenaida Alvarez, Gulf Coast News reported. They described her as always helping people and loved by everyone.
Investigators say Alvarez went to a friend’s house with her children to help put up Christmas decorations. De Armas reportedly followed his ex-partner to the home. He hid in a pantry in the home, and the friend found him “glaring at her, holding a knife” through an opening in the door.
When the friend “screamed in terror,” he jumped out of the cabinet, pushing past her to get to Alvarez. He then allegedly began stabbing Alvarez, not even stopping once she collapsed. Once finished, he ran out of the residence.
On November 9, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office alerted the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office to be on the lookout for 31-year-old Leosbey Cuesta de Armas, the Hardee County office shared in a statement. He was believed to be in Hardee county after leaving the scene.
Deputies began patrolling the area and found his pickup truck. As they approached, the driver left the area, initiating a car chase. The suspect and authorities made their way to the highway, where they passed through various towns. Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and air units joined the pursuit.
Polk County deputies put down stop sticks in an attempt to slow down De Armas, and they successfully deflated one of his tires, but he kept going. “Shortly thereafter, as the vehicle approached Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, it suddenly veered left, crossed the median, and struck a light pole, bringing the pursuit to an end,” the release shared.
De Armas faces charges of second-degree murder and burglary with battery in Lee County. In addition, he was charged with fleeing with reckless disregard and aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer in Polk County, per People.
“Once [De Armas] returns to [Lee] County… we will work with our amazing state attorney, Amira Fox and her team, to make certain that de Armas will not have the opportunity to harm another person ever again,” Marceno said during the news conference.
According to a report from People, de Armas was active on social media between Alvarez’s death and being caught by police. Early in the morning on November 9, he posted a picture of himself and a woman who looks like Alvarez, based on an image from her obituary.
A comment in Spanish on the Facebook post seems to confirm the woman is Alvarez, as the person urges people to stop commenting on it. “My cousin is sadly deceased, and my family is going through this terrible time. I don’t know how that man had the nerve to post that picture,” the person wrote. “Please don’t comment on it; my family is devastated by this tragedy.”
