Woman arrested for investigation of murder after stabbing man in Salt Lake City, police say

Salt Lake City

(Mike DeBernardo, KSL TV file)


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SALT LAKE CITY — A woman was arrested Saturday on investigation of murder after police say she stabbed and killed her boyfriend Friday afternoon.

Fernanda Tobar, 22, was booked into jail early Saturday morning, according to a jail statement.

Just before 6 p.m. Friday, police responded to an apartment at 239 E. South Temple after someone called police to report hearing a neighbor screaming "help me," according to the jail report. Officers found Tobar and another man, later determined to be her boyfriend, exiting the elevator of the building.

The man, later identified as 39-year-old Ryan Outlaw, was bleeding from his chest and appeared to have stab wounds, the jail report said. Outlaw was transported to a hospital where he later died.

In an interview with police, Tobar admitted to "hitting" Outlaw with a knife at least twice, the report said.

Tobar told police Outlaw had bought some liquor earlier in the day, and they had both had five or six drinks before the incident.

"Fernanda said that she was very angry and 'full of rage' this evening due to some jealousy issues between her and (Outlaw)," the jail report said.

At one point during the evening, Outlaw was "pushing on (Tobar's) chest with both his hands, while she was up against the counter," the jail report said.

They separated, and Tobar began throwing things out of the window of the apartment, according to the report. Police later located some of those items in the courtyard of the apartment complex, just east of the unit.

Tobar told detectives Outlaw was still "talking smack" to her and started to leave the apartment. She then began hitting him with her hands all over his chest and back, the report said.

She then picked up a sharp object and admitted to "hitting" Outlaw with it on his chest, according to the report.

Tobar noticed Outlaw was bleeding from the chest and asked if he wanted an ambulance, and he nodded. She walked him to the elevator and took him to the first floor of the building, where he collapsed, the report said.

Tobar told police she knew there were no sharp knives in the apartment, only small kitchen knives, and she believed she used one of those kitchen knives to stab Outlaw, the report said. Investigators found a steak knife just outside the kitchen door of the apartment that was covered in a red substance believed to be blood, according to the report.

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