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Butler police: man stabbed in botched plot that targeted boyfriend of suspect's sister

An alleged weekend setup by two men — one armed with a steak knife — didn’t go well.

The purported target, Butler police said, managed to wrest the knife away and stab one of the assailants, landing him in a Pittsburgh hospital.

The other suspect, Ryan C. Mullen, 31, of Butler Township, got away but was later arrested and jailed.

The motive behind the ill-planned plot, investigators believe, was Mullen’s disapproval of his sister’s relationship with the intended victim, 37-year-old Michael Karch of Butler.

“Ryan Mullen doesn’t like Michael Karch,” said police Capt. James Hollobaugh.

Mullen and his alleged accomplice, David A. Battle Jr., 34, of Pittsburgh, are both charged with aggravated assault and conspiracy, both felonies.

Mullen, who also is charged with misdemeanor assault, is in Butler County Prison on $25,000 bail.

Police Tuesday obtained an arrest warrant for Battle, who suffered the most serious injuries in the Saturday night altercation on West Locust Street.

He was treated at UPMC Presbyterian hospital for at least two stab wounds to the chest, Hollobaugh said. Authorities described the wounds as “non-life threatening.” His condition today was not known.

A call about 9 p.m. for a fight between several men in the area of West Locust and North Washington streets launched the police investigation.

Officers got there and found Karch with his girlfriend, 28-year-old Tiffany Mullen, who was crying. Both had cuts and scrapes.

They told police that they had been “jumped,” documents said. They claimed they didn’t know who did it but Karch believed Ryan Mullen was involved.

Still, police said, neither was willing to say any more.

Just minutes later, investigators got a call from Butler Memorial Hospital, advising them that Battle’s girlfriend had dropped him off there with stab wounds.

Battle told police that he was the victim of an unprovoked knife attack, documents said.

In his account, he claimed an unknown man stabbed him while he walked on West Brady Street near Friedman’s supermarket.

Battle was later taken to Presby for further treatment.

Officers went back to search the area where they had spoken to Karch and Tiffany Mullen. Hollobaugh found a 5-inch knife blade covered in blood on West Locust Street.

Police also tracked down two neighbors who remembered hearing a commotion about 9 p.m.

One witness looked out her bedroom window and saw a man on the ground screaming with two other men on top of him. She yelled down at the men and at least one left in a vehicle.

The other witness recalled seeing two men “zigzagging” around a vehicle on West Locust Street, according to a police report. He saw the men hit a woman before driving away in the vehicle.

Armed with more evidence of what happened, police a little after 11 p.m. paid another visit to Karch and Tiffany Mullen. This time, Hollobaugh said, the couple spoke to investigators.

They recounted that Ryan Mullen earlier that night had called his sister.

“(He) told her that he had been ripped off by a drug dealer,” according to a police affidavit, and wanted Karch “to go with him to get his money back.”

The couple, however, was leery of the request. Karch advised police that “Ryan hates him” because of his relationship with Tiffany Mullen.

But despite his suspicion, Karch agreed to help Mullen. Karch and his girlfriend walked to where they were to meet Mullen.

Once there, documents said, a sport utility vehicle drove up. Mullen came out with a knife. Right behind him, police allege, was Battle.

“Ryan attempted to stab him,” Karch recounted, “but he was able to get the knife off him.”

The defendants started repeatedly punching Karch in the head and face. Karch tried to cover his face, documents said, and in self-defense began “swinging the knife blindly” while yelling for help.

He wasn’t sure if he stabbed either man but he remembered feeling the knife handle break off during the scuffle.

Tiffany Mullen told police that when she tried to intervene in the fight, her brother kicked her in the stomach and Battle shoved her away.

Hollobaugh said Ryan Mullen was arrested early Sunday at his mother’s house in Butler Township. He refused to talk to police.

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