Elizabeth Bumbaugh worked as cleaner while in Washington, district attorney says

OROVILLE — After evading her sentencing for a deadly driving under the influence arrest in Paradise in 1999, District Attorney Mike Ramsey said Elizabeth Bumbaugh worked as a cleaner in Washington.

“She had a little cleaning business up in Washington and it was a situation where she got arrested in 2004 up there and was convicted of felony assault and for whatever reason, Washington did not pick up the Butte County warrant,” Ramsey said.

Bumbaugh continued going unnoticed until applying for public assistance in February 2024 which flagged her and made Butte County aware of her location, leading to her arrest.

“She was very surprised (in 2004) that it didn’t pick up on the fact that it was her,” Ramsey said. “And she didn’t really change her name that much. I think she was going by Liz and then her maiden name so there wasn’t a sophisticated changing of name, but she just slipped through. Once she was captured she said ‘eh, I deserve whatever you give me.’”

Bumbaugh was sentenced to six years and eight months in state prison based on her conviction in 1999 of DUI vehicular manslaughter.