Suspect in Custody Following 24-Hour Standoff at Sunstone Winery in Santa Ynez

[Updated: Sun., Sept. 15, 2024, 11:50 a.m.]

A suspect is in custody following a 24-hour standoff between authorities and a man armed with a sword at the Sunstone Winery in Santa Ynez. According to reports from sources at the scene early Saturday, the man barricaded himself inside the villa on the property the evening before.

First reported by the Independent Saturday afternoon, the standoff was not officially confirmed by authorities until 5:10 p.m. on Saturday with a social media post from the Sheriff’s Office stating that sheriff’s deputies, a crisis negotiation team, and a special enforcement team were on the scene of “a barricaded and armed subject in the 100 block of N. Refugio Road,” adding that no danger to the general public existed.

In a followup post at 7:35 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office announced the suspect had been taken into custody. Sources had reported that the man who barricaded himself in the property is a member of the Rice family, which opened the winery more than 30 years ago but sold the estate about five years ago to the Cabugos family. In a press release issued at 8:40 p.m. on Saturday, Public Information Officer Raquel Zick announced that the suspect is 21-year-old Frederick Miles Rice, who surrendered himself to authorities at 6:57 p.m. — more than 24 hours after deputies responded to an initial report of trespassing at the winery property at 6:15 p.m. on Friday. When deputies arrived, Zick said, they learned that Rice had barricaded himself inside a room of the winery, armed with a sword, and had vandalized property.

Witnesses at the scene said that Rice posted a video to social media (which has since been deleted) titled “Suicide — Taylor’s version,” and scrawled the words “Call TS” on a wall at the property, in an apparent reference to pop star Taylor Swift. Rice reportedly locked himself in the villa after breaking in on Friday night while a wedding party was at an off-site rehearsal dinner ahead of a wedding scheduled for Saturday at the winery.

Zick said that Rice was taken into custody without incident and booked at the Northern Branch Jail for misdemeanor burglary and felony vandalism with a bail of $50,000.

Following the standoff, the suspect’s father, Bion Rice, posted the following statement on Facebook:

“Mental health challenges are a serious issue, and while we are relieved that this situation was resolved peacefully, we recognize that our journey toward healing is just beginning.

“We would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department for their exceptional work. The skilled negotiators, psychologists, and law enforcement officers demonstrated remarkable restraint and professionalism. We are also thankful for the personal presence and leadership of Sheriff Bill Brown.

“Equally, we are profoundly grateful for the prayers, love, and unwavering support of our friends, family, and community, whose compassion has sustained us through this difficult time. We also want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Sunstone Winery for their gracious accommodations, allowing us to be close by and assist negotiators with critical information.

We kindly ask for privacy as we recover and navigate the road ahead.”

If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text TALK to 741741.