A Flushing man pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges Wednesday for stabbing his girlfriend to death and hiding her body in the trunk of her own car, prosecutors announced.
Luis Zambrano, 30, of 150th Street faces at least 25 years behind bars after entering a guilty plea to first-degree manslaughter in the September 2015 murder of Angie Escobar, 28, according to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown.
Escobar was last seen alive on the night of Sept. 4, 2015, leaving her home on 221st Street in Queens Village. On or about Sept. 6, authorities said, Zambrano repeatedly stabbed Escobar about the body, causing her death.
Nearly a week after Escobar left her home, police found her decomposing body inside the trunk of her 2004 Nissan Maxima left abandoned near the intersection of 22nd Avenue and Murray Street. Police obtained information that Zambrano had been seen driving the vehicle near his home.
Detectives eventually tracked down and located Zambrano on Sept. 18 in Dalesville, Virginia. He was subsequently extradited back to Queens to face murder charges.
“A young mother’s life was senselessly cut short by the man who professed to love her,” Brown said. “To hide his actions, he hid her bloody body in the trunk of her own car and then fled the state, only to be caught a few days later. He will now face a lengthy term behind bars when sentenced next month.”
Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth C. Holder ordered Zambrano to return to court on April 19 for sentencing. Along with the 25 year sentence for his manslaughter plea, Zambrano faces up to three additional years behind bars for pleading guilty to an unrelated attempted burglary, Brown noted.
