A Florida man is facing murder charges after allegedly killing his ex-girlfriend. Leosbey Cuesta de Armas was arrested engaging in a police chase after the alleged killing, which only added to the charges he’s facing. He had fled town after stalking the woman to the home of a friend and then 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, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said during a press conference. The woman, who was not named at the time, had multiple stab wounds, and was pronounced 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 claim that Alvarez went to a friend’s house with her children to help put up Christmas decorations. De Armas allegedly followed his ex-partner to the home. He then 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 began stabbing the woman, not even stopping once she collapsed. Once finished, he ran out of the home.
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 said in a statement. He was believed to be in Hardee county after fleeing the scene.
Deputies began patrolling the area and found his pickup truck. As they approached, the vehicle fled the area, initiating a car chase. The pursuit made its way to the highway, where they passed through various towns. Deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and air units joined in 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. However, 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 said.
De Armas is facing charges of second-degree murder and burglary with battery in Lee County.
“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,” LCSO Sheriff Carmine Marceno said during the press conference.
According to a report from People, de Armas was active on social media between killing Alvarez and being caught by police. Early in the morning on November 9, he posted a picture of him and a woman who looks like Alvarez based on a picture from her obituary.
A comment on the picture seems to confirm that the woman is Alvarez. “Don’t comment on that photo anymore,” the person said after positive comments were posted. “That my cousin is unfortunately dead and my family going through this pain. I don’t know how that man had the courage to upload that photo. Please don’t comment, my family is devastated by this tragedy.”
