Man wanted in arson case arrested on suspicion of blade attack, Butte authorities say

A man who was wanted on an arson warrant was arrested in Berry Creek on Sunday after allegedly attacking someone with a blade.

Ryan Blinston, 36, of Oroville was taken into custody after deputies attempting to serve a warrant found him armed with a hatchet near another man who suffered deep stab wounds.

In a news release, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office said Blinston was initially wanted in connected to the disappearance of Oroville resident Vicky Cline, 57, who has not been seen since last week. Deputies suspected him of burning a car and was identified as a person of interest in the missing person case.

Butte County deputies and Oroville police tracked Blinston to a remote 80-acre property on the 1700 block of Milsap Bar in Berry Creek, where he was believed to be staying with an acquaintance.

After acquiring a warrant, officers and deputies armed with night-vision gear attempted a covert search operation early Sunday morning, as Blinston was known by law enforcement to resist arrest and the heavily wooded area surrounding the property made for easy cover.

When they arrived on the property, deputies reported hearing someone in distress shouting for help, along with several banging sounds emanating from a parked RV.

Nearby, Blinston was seen wielding a hatchet, officials said. Deputies switched on their flashlights and approached Blinston, who fled into the woods.

Other deputies entered the RV and found a man who was bleeding from the neck. He told law enforcement that Blinston attacked him in his sleep with a knife, stabbing him in the throat and arm, authorities said. He had fled from Blinston into the RV and locked him out. Blinston, meanwhile, had been attempting to break in.

The victim was given first aid by deputies and was then driven off the property to a helicopter, which flew him to a hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

Blinston was followed by deputies who found him hiding in brush, still armed with the hatchet, and utilized pepper spray and a stun gun in order to arrest him, authorities said.

He was booked into the Butte County Jail on suspicion of arson and attempted murder. He is being held without bail.

The Oroville Police Department is still investigating Cline’s disappearance and asks that anyone with information regarding her whereabouts call 530-538-7671.