Woman crawling along road with stab wounds IDs suspects before dying

ByAmy Hollyfield and Melanie Woodrow KGO logo
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Victim, suspects in Livermore homicide identified
A 19-year-old woman who died after she was found stabbed Monday morning along Tesla Road in Livermore has been identified by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office along with the two people suspected of killing her.

LIVERMORE, Calif. -- A 19-year-old woman who died after she was found stabbed Monday morning along Tesla Road in Livermore, Calif., has been identified by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office along with the two people suspected of killing her.

Investigators say 25-year-old Melissa Leonardo and 19-year-old Daniel Gross left 19-year-old Lizette Andrea Cuesta to die, bleeding from multiple stab wounds and crawling on her stomach, approximately 100 yards based on a trail of blood.

First responders airlifted the victim to Eden Medical Center.

RELATED: 2 arrested after woman found stabbed in Livermore dies

She later died at the hospital. But before she did, she managed to tell investigators who assaulted her.

VIDEO: Victims, suspects identified in Livermore murder

A 19-year-old woman who died after she was found stabbed Monday morning along Tesla Road in Livermore has been identified by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office along with the two people suspected of killing her.

Sheriff's officials say Cuesta was friends with the two suspects and got into the vehicle willingly.

"It's very rare that you can get one of these statements and I don't know how descriptive it was but it was descriptive enough to get us to Modesto," said Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly. "I think she showed incredible internal strength to get through this and to live for as long as she did live."

That information led them to arrest of Leonardo and Gross in Modesto, Calif., as suspects in her death. Neighbors of the home in Modesto described the scene as police swarmed in to make the arrests. They described a girl who was very pregnant being arrested followed by Daniel Gross. One boy said a sniper team was set up in his treehouse looking down on the backyard next door.

"This is just a tragic day and a tragic day for this family," said Sgt. Kelly.

Kelly said a motorist spotted the female victim on the ground in that area and California Highway Patrol officers and Alameda County fire crews responded.

Kelly said the fatal stabbing is "very disturbing and very concerning to us" and described it as "a particularly heinous crime."

Evidence included a piece of rope found on Tesla Road. Sgt. Kelly says it's possible it was used in some way to control the victim.

"I think she showed incredible internal strength to get through this and to live for as long as she did live," said Sgt. Kelly.

Bay City News contributed to this story.