Police: Backpage ad leads to fatal stabbing at Daytona Beach Shores hotel

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. — A 32-year-old man was fatally stabbed early Saturday at a hotel in Daytona Beach Shores, the city's Department of Public Safety said.

Officers found Steven Clark, who was bleeding from his chest, shortly before 4:30 a.m. near an elevator on the sixth floor of the Lexington Inn & Suites on South Atlantic Avenue, Lt. Michael Fowler, a department spokesman, said.

Investigators said Clark accompanied his girlfriend, Amy Stefani, 31, of New Smyrna Beach, to a hotel room after she arranged to meet up with Alfonso Echevarria through an advertisement listed on Backpage.com.

When Stefani entered Echevarria's hotel room, she robbed him at knifepoint, but he was able to disarm her, Fowler said. %

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Officers said Stefani then fled, and Clark entered the room and began attacking Echevarria, who used Stefani's knife to stab him.

Clark then fled the room and collapsed near the elevators, where he died.

Fowler said a warrant had previously been issued for Stefani's arrest for failing to appear in court for a hearing about a prostitution charge. %

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She was arrested and also charged with armed robbery and second-degree murder.

Stefani was taken to the Volusia County Branch Jail near Daytona Beach, where she was jailed without bail.

Fowler said Echevarria won't be charged because he acted in self-defense.

Cox Media Group