Man arrested after Placer County deputies say he ran down homeowner during Auburn burglary

A man was arrested last week after Placer County Sheriff’s deputies say he tried to run over an Auburn man whose house he had allegedly ransacked, sending the homeowner to the hospital.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, the victim arrived home around 4:15 p.m. Aug. 2 to find the front door of his home in the Villas at Timberline retirement community “with household items sprawled about” inside.

“The victim also noticed a strange car in the driveway with a man sitting in the driver’s seat,” according to a social media post by the Sheriff’s Office. “When the victim confronted the suspect, the suspect pulled out a knife and attempted to stab the victim in the chest.”

The victim was able to jump out of the way but the suspect then “drove his vehicle directly at the victim, running him over,” according to deputies.

The victim suffered “significant” injuries when he hit the windshield and went “up over the top of the vehicle.” The man, who was not identified, was hospitalized but is expected to recover, deputies said.

A witness was able to give deputies a description of the suspect, which led to his arrest that evening.

In Tuesday’s news release, he was identified as Christopher Paul Blair, 51, of Mount Shasta.

Blair remains in custody without bail at the Auburn Main Jail and was expected to be formally arraigned on felony charges of burglary and attempted murder Tuesday morning.