On Christmas morning, a disturbing incident unfolded in Utah, leading to murder charges against a woman accused of fatally stabbing her boyfriend.

Fabiola Lara, 39, is now detained at the Salt Lake County Metro Jail, facing accusations of stabbing 45-year-old Jose Humberto Alvarado to death. The incident allegedly occurred after Lara claimed to have witnessed Alvarado removing an 11-year-old girl’s leggings, as reported by KUTV.

The case came to light around 8:00 a.m. on Christmas Day, when a local resident, out walking their dog, discovered Alvarado’s lifeless body on the sidewalk of Thayn Drive.

Lieutenant M.T. Johnson from the West Valley City Police Department remarked on the timing and location of the crime, describing it as a “relatively quiet, nice neighborhood.” He expressed that the incident was particularly “unfortunate” given the holiday context.

Earlier that morning, at approximately 1:30 a.m., authorities were summoned to a home on Atlas Way. They were responding to reports of Alvarado allegedly being caught in the act of removing the leggings from a young girl during a festive gathering.

Before law enforcement could arrive to investigate the allegations related to the child, Alvarado had reportedly left the scene.

Investigators believe that Lara and Alvarado had a physical altercation in front of the Atlas Way home. During this dispute, police suspect Lara stabbed Alvarado. After which, Alvarado reportedly attempted to leave on foot.

A trail of blood led from the site of the party to Thayn Drive, where he eventually collapsed and died from his wounds.

FOX 13 reported that Alvarado’s body was found near the fence of a home that belonged to Sylvia Feleti and her family. Feleti expressed her shock at something so “crazy” happening at her home of 20 years.

“They just told us it was on the side of our fence, and there was a body. That was about it. They asked if we have any cameras that they can view, but we don’t have any cameras; we never felt like we had to have cameras, because nothing has ever happened,” Feleti said.

“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.”

The West Valley City Police Department is actively seeking more information to piece together the final moments of the incident. Detectives have been canvassing the area for home security footage.

Authorities are requesting that any residents with porch or doorbell cameras check their recordings from late Christmas Eve through Christmas morning.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake at 801-840-4000.

Check back for updates.

[Feature Photo: Shutterstock]