WEST VALLEY CITY, UT – A 39-year-old woman faces murder charges after authorities say she fatally stabbed her boyfriend on Christmas morning, leaving him to collapse on a residential sidewalk after fleeing a holiday party where he was accused of inappropriate behavior with a child.
Fabiola Lara was arrested and booked into Salt Lake County Metro Jail following the death of Jose Humberto Alvarado, 45, whose body was discovered around 8:00 a.m. on Thayn Drive in this Salt Lake City suburb.
The deadly confrontation stemmed from an incident at a Christmas Eve gathering on nearby Atlas Way, where Alvarado was accused of removing an 11-year-old girl’s leggings, according to police. When officers responded to a disturbance call at approximately 1:30 a.m., Alvarado had already fled the residence.
Investigators believe Lara and Alvarado subsequently engaged in a physical altercation during which Lara stabbed him. Alvarado attempted to escape on foot but collapsed after leaving a trail of blood leading to where his body was found hours later.
Lieutenant M.T. Johnson described the neighborhood as “relatively quiet, nice” and called the fatal stabbing “unfortunate” for a holiday morning.
Sylvia Feleti, whose fence bordered the location where the body was discovered, expressed shock at the proximity of the violence. “It was crazy. You see a lot of things happening on the news, but you never think that it would be so close to home,” she told reporters.
Police are requesting doorbell and porch camera footage from residents in the area captured between Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake at 801-840-4000.
Lara remains in custody pending formal charges. The investigation is ongoing.
