Man who fatally stabbed ex-girlfriend at Roswell kids party gets life sentence

Pedro Navarro-Zelaya was convicted of felony murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony.

Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office

Credit: Fulton County Sheriff's Office

Pedro Navarro-Zelaya was convicted of felony murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony.

A man who stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death at a children’s party in Roswell in 2019 was found guilty of murder Monday and sentenced to life in prison, Fulton County officials said.

Pedro Navarro-Zelaya, 49, of LaGrange, was convicted of felony murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony, Fulton District Attorney Fani Willis said. He was charged with killing 42-year-old Margarita Cabrera-Maldonado. The two had been in a relationship that ended about a year prior to the stabbing, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported.

Police investigated a 2019 stabbing in Roswell at Dalia’s Events & Decor.

icon to expand image

The incident took place in May 2019 at Dalia’s Events & Decor in Roswell. Navarro-Zelaya, who was drunk and said he did not remember the incident, walked into the business in the midst of a child’s birthday party and stabbed Cabrera-Maldonado six times, Willis said.

Multiple people witnessed the attack and some “bravely intervened to disarm the defendant,” Willis said. Navarro-Zelaya tried to fight back and ultimately stabbed himself in the chest. He was taken to the hospital and later booked into the Fulton jail, where he has remained since his arrest.

“Time and again, we see how dangerous and lethal intimate partner violence can be. This office has partnered with organizations to not only provide support to victims of domestic violence but also learn how we can serve this community’s needs better,” Willis said. “I am keeping Ms. Margarita’s family and everyone who witnessed this horrific crime in my thoughts, and I hope this conviction gives them some sense of justice.”

Navarro-Zelaya was sentenced to life in prison plus five years, the DA’s office said.