A pregnant woman is hospitalized after an incident in Florida left her fighting for her life. On December 22, the woman was allegedly stabbed 14 times by a pizza delivery driver who was upset about being given a $2 tip when she brought the order to a hotel. Although the suspect is now in custody, her accomplice is still at large.
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The incident took place at the Riviera Motel in Kissimmee, Florida.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by ABC News, deputies from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call at the motel over home invasion and stabbing reports.
There, they found Melinda Irizarry, a pregnant woman who had been stabbed multiple times. After she was transported to a local hospital, Irizarry had emergency surgery for a ruptured lung. She also had stab wounds on her arms, legs, chest, and abdomen from the attack. She is now in stable condition.
Police identified the suspect as 22-year-old Brianna Alvelo.
Police believe Alvelo made the delivery from Marco’s Pizza, and upon her arrival at the Riviera Motel, she was paid $50 in cash for a $33.10 order. But since it was against store policy to give change, Irizarry found smaller bills to pay for the order and gave Alvelo a $2 tip.
At that point, Alvelo “rolled her eyes and walked away without saying anything.” But that wasn’t the end of their interaction.
Alvelo allegedly returned to the motel room later with an unnamed male.
The male suspect had a firearm when he and Alvelo “forced their way” into Irizarry’s motel room. There, she was stabbed 14 times. Alvelo and the unknown man also allegedly took items from the room before they left.
Alvelo was arrested and charged with “home invasion with a firearm, attempted murder, kidnapping, and aggravated assault violations.” The male suspect is still at large.
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Irizarry wasn't alone in the motel room.
While talking to Fox 35 Orlando, Irizarry confirmed that her boyfriend and her 5-year-old daughter were with her and both witnessed the attack. The male suspect allegedly pointed his gun at her and her daughter before forcing her boyfriend into the bathroom.
“It’s pretty traumatic. My daughter seeing that whole thing, it’s pretty heartbreaking to me,” she said.
Marco's Pizza has released a statement.
In a statement to Florida’s Local 10, a spokesperson for Marco’s Pizza said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred. The local owner and his team are fully cooperating with local authorities, who have launched an investigation into the matter. The safety and well-being of customers and team members are always our top priority, and we are taking this incident very seriously.”
