ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- An Odessa woman is behind bars after she allegedly stabbed her boyfriend because he refused to give her money for food. Tiffany Rios, 35, has been charged with Aggravated Assault With a Deadly Weapon. 

According to an affidavit, on September 30, officers with the Odessa Police Department responded to an apartment building on W 13th Street after a man called 911 and said he’d been stabbed. At the scene, officers met with a victim who had a deep laceration to his left forearm; the victim was taken to Medical Center Hospital for treatment. 

At the hospital, officers spoke with the victim who stated he had donated blood earlier in the day and that while he was out, his girlfriend, identified as Rios, texted him and asked if he was going to come to her house because she was going to have her kids and didn’t have any money to buy them food. The victim said he told Rios he would visit later that day. 

When the victim arrived at Rios’ home, she reportedly became upset that he didn’t bring her any money. According to the victim, he got up from Rios’ bed to leave, but felt dizzy and had to sit down in the living room to wait for the dizziness to pass. He said while he was sitting in the living room, Rios exited the kitchen with a knife and swung it at him.

The victim stated he was able to dodge the first jab and moved to exit the home when Rios called out to him that she was calling the cops and planned to send him to jail.  As she said that, Rios reportedly swung the knife again and struck the victim in the arm. 

Officers then spoke with Rios who stated she swung the knife in self-defense after the victim showed up uninvited at her door. Investigators said they searched Rios’ phone and could not find the text messages between the pair that led to the victim’s arrival; however, a search of the victim’s phone did prove that the victim had been invited and had not shown up unannounced. When questioned, Rios had no answer for why the text messages were no longer on her phone. 

Rios was arrested and taken to the Ector County Law Enforcement Center where she remained as of Monday afternoon. Her bond has been set at $20,000.