Joe Yates
A pregnant woman who was allegedly stabbed 14 times in front of her five-year-old daughter by a pizza delivery driver has spoken out.
On Sunday (December 22), just three days before Christmas, Melinda Irizarry was staying in a motel in Kissimmee, which is about a 25-minute drive south of Orlando, Florida, with her partner and daughter.
Shortly after midnight she heard a banging at her door and upon answering it, in barged the accused attempted murderer Brianna Alvelo and an unnamed man who was pointing a gun at Irizarry's boyfriend's head.
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Entering the hotel room, the male suspect forced the boyfriend into the bathroom, while Alvelo is believed to have been rummaging through their things and smashed Irizarry's daughter's Nintendo Switch.
After finding nothing of value, Alvelo is said to have turned her attention to Irizarry, where she allegedly began stabbing her with a pocket knife, eventually leaving her with 14 stab wounds.
Irizarry's victim statement alleges that Alvelo only ceased her attack after the male suspect told her it was time to leave, with the victim believing Alvelo was 'trying to kill her'.
Authorities attended the scene and the victim was taken to hospital from the scene, her injuries include a punctured lung and she learned at the hospital that she was a few weeks pregnant.
Officers then began piecing together the night, and investigators have alleged that is the 22-year-old Alvelo had knocked on the door earlier that night to deliver a pizza - which Irizarry has claimed was cold and late.
Alvelo was the pizza delivery driver who handed over a pie worth $33.10, with Irizarry paying $50 and asking for change.
Alvelo explained that it wasn't the restaurant's policy to provide change, after which Irizarry asked for their money back and went to find two smaller bills.
The switch meant Alvelo was left with just under a $2 tip, with Irizarry witness statement claiming Alvelo 'rolled her eyes and walked away without saying anything'.
Now, Irizarry, who is in a stable condition, has spoken out from her hospital bed recalling the traumatic experience she went through.
"Once I realized the severity of the situation, I'm like, 'oh my God'. These people came in here to hurt us," she told Fox 35 Orlando.
"It wasn't like she was just upset, it was like she was in a frenzy mode."
She went on to explain how she began crying and 'kept telling my boyfriend, I think I'm going to die', before talking about how her five-year-old daughter was forced to witness the traumatic ordeal.
"My daughter, seeing that whole thing. You know? It's pretty heartbreaking to me," Irizarry added.
Her boyfriend allegedly told Alvelo where there was money and she 'didn't go and get it', so she doesn't think the crime was financially motivated.
Irizarry and her boyfriend are now terrified that the male suspect might try to finish the job.
"I am scared and he knows exactly how he [Irizarry's boyfriend] looks. He stared at that man, for how long? With a gun pointed to his head.
"I want them to get him as soon as possible because they're monsters. They should not be out in the street."
Alvelo is being held in the Osceola County jail with bail set at $55,000, as investigations continue. The male suspect currently remains unidentified, and Alvelo is now facing charges of attempted murder, home invasion with a firearm, kidnapping and aggravated assault with a weapon.
The Sheriff's office added: "This was an isolated incident at this address, and the matter remains under investigation."