On April 3, 2025, at approximately 11:50 AM, an outside agency requested assistance from the
Oroville Police Department regarding a distraught female located on the Highway 70 bridge near Montgomery
Street.
While officers were en route, the Oroville Police Department Dispatch Center received additional information
indicating the female had been assaulted and was bleeding from a head wound. Following a trail of blood
droplets, first responders located the victim near a nearby bike trail and immediately rendered aid. She was
transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The victim reported she had been struck in the head with a machete and that her dog was also attacked with the
weapon.
During a search of the area, officers located a machete near the scene of the assault. Shortly afterward, they
located and arrested 32-year-old Charles Hipes of Oroville in the area of Centennial Park. He was taken into
custody without incident and booked into the Butte County Jail on charges of felony assault with a deadly
weapon, animal cruelty, and infliction of corporal injury. Based on the initial investigation, the victim and
suspect are known to each other; this incident was not a random attack.
This investigation involved a response from multiple agencies. The Oroville Police Department would like to
extend its sincere gratitude to the California Highway Patrol, California State Parks, and the California
Department of Fish and Wildlife for their assistance and support.
Oroville Police Arrest Suspect in Machete Assault on Woman and Dog
