SLO County man arrested after chasing, threatening people with knife, police say

A man who allegedly chased and threatened to kill bystanders with a knife was arrested in Arroyo Grande on Wednesday morning.

According to an Arroyo Grande Police Department news release, officers were dispatched to the 600 block of El Camino Real at about 6:13 a.m. for reports of a “male suspect armed with a knife” who had threatened to kill a person and their coworkers.

When officers arrived, 35-year-old Arroyo Grande resident Royce Taylor Bechtel was lying on the ground of the parking lot. According to police, Bechtel had sustained a head injury after he allegedly chased an individual around a vehicle and threatened to kill the person.

Several bystanders intervened to subdue the man until the police arrived, the release said.

Bechtel was transported to Arroyo Grande Hospital for treatment. After being medically cleared, he was booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail on suspicion of charges of attempted murder and making criminal threats, according to the release.

According to the release, Bechtel had been recently released on his own recognizance from the SLO County Jail following an arrest for allegedly resisting an officer with force or fear.

As of Friday, Bechtel remained in custody with bail set at $500,000, according to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office’s Who’s in Custody website.

The Police Department is continuing to investigate.

Anyone with information can contact the Arroyo Grande Police Department and Sgt. Jason Castillo at 805-473-5110.