Cal Fire fugitive allegedly pays prostitute to be exclusively his

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The search continues for the firefighter accused of killing his girlfriend. Now the victim's relatives are opening up saying she wanted to stop their rocky relationship before she was killed.

For at least the past year, friends say Sarah Douglas depended on Orville Fleming to pay her rent, buy her food, and take her wherever she needed to go. But, she always told her friends, she was young, wild and free, and wanted to be that again.

The arrest warrant for Batallion Chief Orville Fleming reveals what happened moments before Sarah Douglas was stabbed to death. According to detectives, Sarah's sister, Stephanie told them that the two were having relationship issues and Sarah intended to leave.

Investigators in Sacramento County say there has been no sign of Fleming since his Cal Fire truck was found abandoned. They now believe he has left the area.

Sgt. Lisa Bowman with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department said, "Obviously we've reached out to other agencies that have a significant connection to him whether it be family members from Fresno or Clovis PD. That's what we're doing. We're trying to follow every lead, in every direction that we find out."

Sarah's childhood friend told Action News Tuesday, Orville and Sarah's relationship began as a paid prostitute arrangement, but evolved into a situation where he paid Sarah to stay home and be his exclusively. But over the past year, the victim's friends and family members say he became more controlling.

"She felt like she was in jail, like she was old. Because she was so used to going out and doing what she wanted to when she wanted to and now she was being controlled by everything she did. To turn on the air conditioner she had to text him to ask him."

According to the arrest warrant, Sarah was on the phone at the apartment they shared last Wednesday when he walked in and startled her. Yelling was then heard before Sarah told him, "This is expletive. I can't even go out with my sister and my mom!" she continued, "He doesn't even believe I was out with you guys!"

The warrant says Sarah screamed, and her sister heard the phone get grabbed before it went dead. Every phone call after that went straight to voicemail and every text message went unanswered. Investigators believe that's because she was murdered.

Investigators say Orville Fleming should be considered armed and dangerous. And anyone who has helped him over the past few days should come forward before they face criminal charges too.