Arvada police say they have arrested a man in the fatal stabbing Friday night of another man during a party at a fourplex apartment.
Abdu Latif Kazembe Abunantambu-El, 51, is being held in the Jefferson County Jail for investigation of first-degree murder, according to Jill McGranahan, Arvada police spokeswoman.
The victim has been identified as Levi Johnson, 52.
It appears alcohol or drugs may have contributed to an argument that led to violence, McGranahan said.
Johnson and his wife were partying with another woman at a friend’s house in the 5800 block of Pierce Street when Abunantambu-El allegedly forced his way into the home at about 7:30 p.m. and attacked Johnson, she said.
Abunantambu-El had a relationship with the woman who lived in the apartment, whose identity has not been released.
The suspect allegedly stabbed Johnson in front of his wife, threatened her and assaulted the other woman, McGranahan said. The suspect was still in the home when police arrived.
Paramedics performed CPR on Johnson while he was rushed to St. Anthony Hospital West, where he was pronounced dead, she said.
Abunantambu-El is a registered sex offender who also has been arrested several times for drug offenses in the metro area dating back to the 1990s.
The two women and the victim also have criminal records, McGranahan said.
“They all had extensive criminal records,” she said.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206, or
