By Loretta Kalb
lkalb@sacbee.com
A Sacramento man was arrested and booked today for investigation of murder in the bludgeoning and stabbing of an Arden Arcade woman Saturday evening, Sheriff's officials said.
Robert Syas, 58, was taken into custody late Saturday at a service station on Del Paso Boulevard and booked into Sacramento County main jail early today.
Coroner's officials have identified the victim as Syas' girlfriend, 55-year-old Pamela Lynn Johnson, whose body was found shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday by her son in her apartment in the 2000 block of Bluebird Lane.
Investigators canvassed nearby apartments Saturday night and learned that Syas was with Johnson earlier in the day, said Sheriff's spokesman Deputy Jason Ramos.
Ramos said a witness reported seeing Syas and the victim go into her apartment about 5:30 p.m. and that a loud fight that included banging, scuffling and yelling followed for several minutes.
Detectives previously had a felony warrant for Syas' arrest on a concealed weapons charge.
Online court records show Syas was arrested more than a dozen times in the last decade and received jail time for convictions ranging from armed robbery, burglary and grand theft to possession of controlled substances and driving with a blood-alcohol content of 0.08 percent or greater.
Syas also had been ordered on Dec 21, 2010, to serve 45 days in jail for violating terms of his probation.
During the interview, Syas repeatedly gave conflicting statements about what had happened in the woman's apartment, Ramos recounted. But he said homicide detectives developed enough information to book Syas for investigation of the murder
Ramos said detectives believe that Syas may have spent time with other people after Johnson was slain.
The department is urging anyone who had contact with Syas on Saturday between 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. or who may have information about the case to call the homicide bureau at (916) 874-5115, or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP.
Call The Bee's Loretta Kalb, (916) 321-1073.
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