NEW ORLEANS — A Marrero man is under arrest, accused of murder in Thursday’s stabbing death of his girlfriend on the Westbank.
Jefferson Parish investigators say a man and a woman were arguing inside a vehicle that stopped next to a vacant lot in the 3800 block of Alex Korman Boulevard in Harvey.
Witnesses reported seeing the woman being stabbed inside the car around 9:30, Thursday morning.
Tanya Tipado lives next door to the lot.
She didn’t see or hear anything until deputies arrived on the scene.
“They were more by the canal, so we just assumed somebody had dumped something illegal in the canal until the officers came and knocked on the door and stated that there had been an incident about an hour before,” Tipado said.
The stabbing launched a day-long search for Nathaniel Hernandez, 39, and his girlfriend Sara Torello, 32.
“Looked like the suspect actually dragged the female out of the driver seat, kept her in the car, but after the stabbing fled that scene.,” Sheriff Joe Lopinto said.
Deputies received a call around 2:30 in the afternoon about a burning car in a wooded area off Churchill Parkway in Avondale, less than 10 miles from the Harvey location.
“We were able to find the victim who was taken out of the car but disposed of in that wooded area back in that area,” Lopinto said.
They found Hernandez not far from the burning vehicle, Lopinto added.
"Our drone team got up in the air. They were able to locate him, hiding in the woods, probably less than 100 yards from where the scene was. The canine went in with infrared on their handhelds scopes and were able to make an apprehension on him.”
Hernandez is also accused of hitting Torello last month resulting in a swollen eye and cut to her face.
“That thin line between love and hate,” Tipado said. “Sometimes it just gets to where that person thinks he can possess someone or own them.”
Hernandez was booked on second degree murder and obstruction of justice charges.
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