By F. Scott Faulkner
Sept. 16, 2024 – Santa Barbara County, CA
A tense 24-hour standoff at the iconic Sunstone Winery in Santa Ynez came to a peaceful
conclusion on September 14, with the arrest of 21-year-old Santa Barbara resident Frederick
Miles Rice.
It all began in the early evening hours of September 13 when a reported trespassing incident
brought Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department deputies to the scene.
Upon arrival, officers discovered that Rice had barricaded himself inside a Villa on the property.
According to SBSD Public Information Officer Raquel Zick, Rice was “wielding a sword and
causing property damage” as deputies made verbal contact with him. The Sheriff’s Crisis
Negotiation Team and Special Enforcement Team were promptly deployed to manage the
situation.
As the standoff between Rice and the cops stretched into the long hours of the night, the drama
drew considerable attention but was contained without posing any danger to the public. Rice, a
former member of the family that originally owned the winery before it was sold five years ago,
eventually surrendered to the authorities some 24 hours later, at approximately 6:57 p.m. on
Saturday.
During the incident, authorities determined that Rice had, earlier in the day, posted a distressing
video on social media and left messages referring to pop star Taylor Swift, alluding to personal
turmoil. He had locked himself in the Villa after reportedly breaking in while a wedding party
was absent, attending a rehearsal dinner off-site.
Rice was ultimately taken into custody and arrested without further incident and booked into the
Northern Branch Jail. He faces charges of misdemeanor burglary and felony vandalism, with his
bail set at $50,000.
