By Palm Beach and Broward Mugshots LLC
POMPANO BEACH, Fla. — A late-night confrontation allegedly intended for someone else ended with 17-year-old Alisa Espaillat dying inside a Pompano Beach motel room after multiple bullets were fired through its window.
Nearly six years later, the two people arrested in connection with her death—Jayla Leondrea Patton and D’Angelo Cincord—remain in Florida state prison.
The events unfolded shortly before 2 a.m. on November 4, 2020, at the Travelodge on Northwest 31st Avenue, according to probable-cause affidavits filed by the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
A Knock at the Door
Investigators said Espaillat was staying with members of her family when her stepfather heard a loud knock.
When he looked through the peephole, someone’s hand was allegedly covering it and blocking his view. He partially opened the door and encountered Patton, who reportedly believed her former boyfriend was inside the room.
According to the affidavit, Patton demanded to speak with the man because she wanted to confront him over an alleged dispute involving her grandmother. Espaillat’s stepfather told Patton the man was not there.
The confrontation escalated at the doorway. Espaillat’s stepfather eventually pushed Patton into the hallway and closed the door, investigators wrote.
Seconds later, multiple bullets tore through the motel-room window.
Espaillat was struck in the right shoulder and left cheek before collapsing inside the room. Paramedics transported her to Broward Health North, where she was pronounced dead at approximately 2:23 a.m.
Surveillance Video Captured the Approach
According to BSO, motel surveillance video showed Patton walking toward the room with Cincord, who was shirtless and had a black-and-white garment covering part of his face.
Detectives alleged that the video showed Cincord carrying a black handgn equipped with what appeared to be an extended magazine. He reportedly concealed himself behind a wall while Patton confronted the occupants of the room.
The affidavit states that Patton periodically looked toward Cincord and made hand gestures in his direction during the confrontation.
After Patton fell near the doorway and returned to her feet, investigators said Cincord moved from behind the wall, approached the window and fired repeatedly into the occupied room.
Both were then allegedly recorded fleeing toward a neighboring motel.
A motel security officer told deputies she saw a woman with long locs running through the parking lot after hearing the gunfire. With assistance from BSO’s Aviation Unit, deputies located Patton nearby.
Witnesses subsequently identified her as the woman who had confronted the family at the motel room.
Two detention deputies working near the North Broward jail complex also noticed a man in dark clothing walking through a nearby tree line. According to the report, the man changed direction after noticing the deputies.
He was stopped and identified as Cincord.
Investigators also recovered a keychain at the motel-room doorway that they said belonged to Patton.
Patton and Cincord were taken to BSO’s Public Safety Building for recorded interviews.
Patton reportedly told detectives she met Cincord at a Pompano Beach gas station and drove him to the motel so she could contact her former boyfriend. She maintained that she did not know Cincord had a firearm until she saw him fire into the window.
Cincord gave investigators a different account.
According to the affidavit, Cincord said Patton asked him to accompany her while she attempted to lure the former boyfriend outside. Cincord alleged that Patton instructed him to “pistl whip” the man because of the dispute involving her grandmother.
Cincord reportedly admitted that after seeing Patton fall near the doorway, he decided to fire multiple rounds into the occupied room.
Investigators said Cincord later agreed to accompany detectives on a drive and showed them where he had attempted to hide the firearm.
The report states that detectives recovered a Taurus 9mm pistl buried several inches beneath the sand along a wall near a Pompano Beach gas station. The magazine allegedly contained 14 live rounds, with another round in the chamber.
Based on the surveillance video, witness statements, interviews and recovered firearm, BSO arrested Patton and Cincord on second-degree murder allegations.
**************
Where Are They Now?
Florida Department of Corrections records provided for this story show both defendants are currently incarcerated.
Patton, now 29, entered state custody in March 2023. She is being held at Gadsden Correctional Facility and has a projected release date of October 5, 2029.
Cincord, now 25, entered state custody in December 2022. He is being held in close custody at Mayo Correctional Institution Annex and has a projected release date of October 29, 2040.
Projected release dates can change because of gain time, forfeitures or subsequent review.
Alisa Espaillat, a Coconut Creek High School student and twin, was not the person Patton reportedly went to the motel to confront. She was 17 years old when a dispute that had nothing to do with her ended her life. We’re praying for her and her family
All individuals are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Comments are moderated. Text only. No photos, videos, links, addresses, phone numbers, victim information, witness names, threats, harassment, racial slurs, or unverified accusations. All individuals are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Your email must be verified before your comment can be reviewed. For safety and moderation, comment submissions may include your name, email, IP address, browser/device information, and comment activity.