Deputies were set to search for stabbing suspect. He helped out, driving back by the scene
Deputies had just what they needed after arriving at the scene of a stabbing that left a man wounded in the neck. Witnesses provided a description of the assailant’s SUV and surveillance video helped identify him and the vehicle.
But the search turned dramatically easier and after a chase and briefly losing track of the suspect, the Madera County Sheriff’s Office had its man.
Robert Wayne Long, 31, of Coarsegold drove back by the scene of the crime, deputies said, and within a couple of hours of the attack, he was in custody, accused of attempting to kill the other man and of a hate crime.
The incident began about 5 p.m. Friday, the Sheriff’s Office stated in a Facebook post Saturday, with deputies answering reports of a stabbing in the 40000 block of Highway 41 in Oakhurst.
A victim, described only as an adult man, had suffered a stab wound to his neck. Treatment was provided until EMS arrived, and he was airlifted to the hospital.
Witnesses provided a solid lead, saying the attacker drove away in a green Subaru SUV. After watching surveillance video from a nearby business, deputies identified the suspect and the vehicle.
Man spotted and then a pursuit
While still at the stabbing scene, deputies saw the suspect driving by. The officers tried to pull the car over and a chase began along the highway to Road 420, where they lost sight of the vehicle.
But about 7 p.m.., the vehicle was spotted in North Fork. Deputies then found the suspect and after a brief struggle, took Long into custody. During a search of the car, deputies said, they recovered two large fixed blade knives.
Long was booked on felony charges of attempted murder, commission of a hate crime, and evading a peace officer.
Details of what led to the hate-crime allegation were not released, nor was an update on the condition of the victim.
Sheriff Tyson Pogue praised the deputies’ quick actions.
“We are grateful for the positive resolution of this critical incident,” Pogue was quoted in the Facebook post. “I am proud of our deputies for their diligence in locating this suspect and mitigating further danger to our community. This is a fine example of teamwork and a testament to the caliber of individuals at the Madera County Sheriff’s Office.”
This story was originally published May 1, 2021 at 7:06 PM.
