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Cal Fire chief wanted in death of fiancee arrested after manhunt

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A battalion chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection who was at the center of a statewide manhunt in connection with the death of his fiancee has been arrested.

Few details have been released by Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department officials, but they confirmed via social media that Orville Fleming, 55, was taken into custody Friday. It was not immediately clear exactly where he was arrested or how he was found.

A sheriff’s official said he was found in the Sacramento County area, but declined to elaborate.

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Authorities had been searching for Fleming since May 1, when the body of 26-year-old Sarah Douglas was found by her sister with multiple stab wounds in the couple’s home.

Fleming was described as an avid outdoors man who frequented the Yosemite Valley, Sierras and Santa Cruz Mountains.

He apparently had a set of keys capabale of accessing fire gates, trails and Cal Fire facilities statewide. Fleming also had access to a .45-caliber pistol and a .25-caliber pistol, authorities said.

Fleming was sought on suspicion of strangling Douglas before covering her in a sheet to incapacitate her. Authorities said she had been stabbed more than 20 times with a 9-inch blade.

Investigators determined that Fleming’s blood was also found at the scene, confirming that the victim had resisted and inflicted wounds on his hands.

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