Florida man cleared of murder charge after DNA evidence implicates roommate, police say
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - Authorities have dropped charges against a man arrested in a 2023 murder in Orange County after authorities said new evidence has emerged, highlighting the ongoing complexity of the investigation.
On May 10, 2023, deputies responded to a call regarding an unresponsive woman in a car on Lee Ann Drive. The victim, 52-year-old Maria De Los Angeles Paulino, was found dead inside the vehicle with 16 stab wounds, detectives said.
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Initially, 29-year-old Yesnin Salvador Bonilla-Iscoa was arrested for the crime. However, detectives said forensic DNA analysis and witness testimony have since implicated Bonilla-Iscoa's roommate, Luis Alfredo Narvaez. Narvaez was apprehended in January by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in North Florida for immigration-related charges.
Luis Alfredo Narvaez now faces charges of first-degree murder with a weapon and is being held in the Orange County Jail.
Consequently, Bonilla-Iscoa has been exonerated, and charges against him have been dropped as he is no longer considered a suspect.
Narvaez now faces charges of first-degree murder with a weapon and is being held in the Orange County Jail. The Orange County Sheriff's Office said the case remains active, with detectives continuing preparations for trial.