Ivan Aldair Canchola-Garcia was found after the attack and taken into custody on Wisconsin warrants, police saw.
LA CROSSE, Wis. — A man accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend while she held their baby was arrested the next day in Indiana after police said he left La Crosse following the attack.
Ivan Aldair Canchola-Garcia, 28, was identified by La Crosse police after officers found a woman with multiple stab wounds late May 15 in the 1100 block of 16th Street South. The case now includes an attempted first-degree intentional homicide charge, domestic abuse allegations, a $1 million bond and evidence police say links Canchola-Garcia to a Walmart knife purchase and a later attempt to get rid of key items.
The search for Canchola-Garcia began with a medical emergency. Police said officers were dispatched at about 11:22 p.m. to assist first responders. They arrived and found the victim wounded. She was taken to a local hospital and remained under care because of her injuries, police said. Early in the investigation, officers determined the case appeared isolated. As investigators worked through the night and into the next day, they identified Canchola-Garcia as a suspect and said they believed he had left La Crosse and possibly crossed state lines. That belief shifted the case from a local stabbing response to a search involving authorities outside Wisconsin.
On May 16, law enforcement located Canchola-Garcia in Whitestown, Indiana. Police said he was arrested there on outstanding warrants from Dane County, Wisconsin. Whitestown is far from La Crosse, turning the suspect’s movement into a key part of the early case narrative. La Crosse police then said they were working with the La Crosse County District Attorney’s Office to obtain an arrest warrant for attempted first-degree intentional homicide. The public statements did not say why he was in Indiana, how long he had been there or whether investigators believe he planned to stay outside Wisconsin.
The criminal complaint, as described in reports, adds the alleged events before the stabbing. Investigators say Canchola-Garcia bought a knife at Walmart hours before the attack. Store surveillance and license plate readers placed him at the retailer, according to the complaint. Police say he then went to the victim’s home wearing a mask and gloves. The victim was the mother of his 11-month-old daughter, and she was holding the baby when the attack occurred, reports said. The child was not hurt. The woman suffered wounds to her neck, armpit and shoulder blade and was taken for emergency medical care.
After the attack, investigators say, Canchola-Garcia tried to separate himself from the weapon and clothing items. Police reviewed video from a Kwik Trip convenience store and said it showed him discarding the knife, gloves and mask. Officers recovered those items. The alleged disposal could become important in court because it may help prosecutors argue consciousness of guilt. It may also give the defense several points to challenge, including the quality of the video, how the items were collected, whether forensic testing ties them to Canchola-Garcia and whether the state can prove the knife was the one used in the stabbing.
Investigators also cited an alleged admission. A friend told police that Canchola-Garcia said, “I did it. I did what I needed to do. I tried to kill her. I went for the neck.” The complaint ties that statement to the charge that he intended to kill the victim. The exact timing of the alleged conversation was not made clear in the public reports. Nor was it clear whether police recorded any later interview with Canchola-Garcia, whether he made statements to officers after his arrest or whether he invoked his right to remain silent. Those questions could become part of later court filings.
The victim’s identity has not been released in available public accounts. Police have described her injuries but not a full prognosis. Reports said she was expected to survive. Officials also have not released details about the child’s care after the attack. The baby’s presence, however, is a central fact in the complaint because it places the alleged violence in a family setting and because the child was in the victim’s arms at the time. The case was reported as involving the child’s father and mother, making domestic abuse part of the broader criminal allegations.
The charges reported against Canchola-Garcia include attempted first-degree intentional homicide, domestic abuse and use of a dangerous weapon. Under Wisconsin law, an attempt charge requires prosecutors to prove conduct showing the accused intended and tried to commit the underlying crime. The complaint’s references to a knife purchase, mask, gloves, targeted wounds, an alleged statement and discarded items appear aimed at that issue. Canchola-Garcia has not been convicted and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The high bond means he remained jailed while the case continued, unless bond conditions later changed.
La Crosse police said the investigation remained active and ongoing. That phrase can cover evidence testing, witness interviews, digital records, video review and work with prosecutors. The case also may require coordination with Indiana authorities because of the arrest there. Public reports did not state whether extradition issues delayed his return to Wisconsin, though later court reporting placed him in La Crosse County custody. Future hearings are expected to address the complaint, bond, discovery and whether the state has enough evidence to move the case forward.
The south side block where the call began is now only one part of a wider map. The case spans a home on 16th Street South, a Walmart where police say the weapon was bought, a Kwik Trip where items were recovered and Whitestown, Indiana, where the suspect was found. That path gives prosecutors a timeline to present and gives defense attorneys a chain of evidence to examine. Each location adds a question about video, witnesses, records and timing.
Canchola-Garcia remained held on a $1 million bond as the attempted homicide case proceeded in La Crosse County. The next public milestone is expected through court action, where the state’s evidence and the defense response will begin to define the case beyond the initial police account.
Author note: Last updated June 18, 2026.