A champion bodybuilder was fatally stabbed during a fight with his girlfriend at their apartment in Chapecó in southern Brazil on Sunday morning, police said.
Valter de Vargas Aita, 41, was found dead on the building stairwell after neighbors heard a violent disturbance and called authorities, according to local reports. Investigators said Aita suffered multiple stab wounds to his neck, face, abdomen and back. His girlfriend, 43, who has not been publicly identified, was also stabbed and taken to a hospital in serious condition.
Police said Aita tried to flee the apartment and collapsed in the communal stairway where he was later pronounced dead. Officials released photographs showing extensive blood marks in corridors and stairwells, consistent with witnesses’ accounts that the victim attempted to escape the scene before collapsing.
Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the altercation. Reports indicated the woman had an outstanding warrant for armed robbery and murder and was facing a potential 15-year sentence at the time of the killing; police confirmed she was in custody and receiving medical treatment. Investigators are continuing to interview witnesses and gather evidence, police said.
Aita was a prominent figure in the regional bodybuilding community. He was a former World Fitness Federation runner-up and a five-time state bodybuilding champion who had competed for more than a decade. He also worked as a personal trainer and maintained a social media presence where he shared workout and diet routines with followers.
The gym where Aita trained and worked announced it would remain closed on Monday as a mark of respect. In a social media post, the facility said, "Forever in our hearts."
Violent disputes involving intimate partners are investigated under state criminal statutes that can include homicide and aggravated bodily injury charges. Local authorities did not immediately release details about any arrest charges, forensic findings or a timeline for releasing the girlfriend from medical care.
Officials urged anyone with additional information or relevant footage to contact the Chapecó police. The case remains under active investigation as prosecutors and police examine evidence from the scene and witness statements to determine the full sequence of events that led to the fatal confrontation.