ASSAULT, BURGLARY AND ELDER ABUSE IN BOONVILLE
On Tuesday, July 1, 2025 at approximately 07:46 P.M., Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were dispatched to a reported assault with a deadly weapon in the 21000 block of Redwood Ridge Road in Boonville. The victim advised the male suspect had fled the area on foot.
Deputies responded from the Ukiah area and upon arriving at the residence they located a 74-year-old adult male victim who sustained a laceration on his hand. Deputies summoned emergency medical care for the victim, who was treated at the scene by medical professionals.
Deputies determined the victim and suspect knew each other. The victim identified the suspect as 43-year-old Ryan Stearns. Deputies determined that Stearns had entered the victim’s residence without warning and brandished a machete-style tool above his head as he approached the victim. The victim attempted to defend himself and was able to physically resist the machete attack. During the struggle the victim’s hand was cut, and Stearns fled the scene. The victim shared that Stearns lived a transient lifestyle and his current whereabouts were unknown.
Deputies located the machete and other evidence at the scene which were consistent with the victim’s statements and corroborated a violent assault had occurred.
Deputies searched numerous locations in the Boonville area that night but were unable to locate Stearns. An order to arrest Stearns was issued and sent to law enforcement agencies within Mendocino County.
On Thursday, July 3, 2025 at around noon, Deputies again responded to the Boonville area to search for Stearns. Several local citizens had reported sightings of Stearns in the Boonville and Navarro areas. The reports included that Stearns was seen on a motorized bicycle possibly traveling west along Highway 128. Deputies checked numerous locations along the highway but were still unable to locate Stearns. One citizen shared information that Stearns was known to travel from Boonville to Ukiah on a motorized bicycle. They informed deputies that Stearns would sometimes travel to Comptche and on Orr Springs Road.
At approximately 2:23 P.M. on that Thursday, Sheriff’s Office Dispatch personnel received a call for service from the Comptche Store. A store employee was reporting that an intoxicated male who was causing a disturbance at the store. The caller advised when they told the male subject they were calling law enforcement the male fled the store and ran into a wooded area to the north of the store.
Deputies were nearby at the time, and determined the subject was Stearns based on another citizen seeing him on a motorized bicycle earlier in the day. An extensive ground search was conducted, and Stearns was eventually located hiding in a thick wooded area and was obviously trying to avoid apprehension by law enforcement. Stearns was taken into custody without incident and later transported to the Mendocino County Jail. Stearns was booked for charges of Assault with a deadly weapon, Burglary, and Elder abuse resulting in injury. Stearns was to be held in lieu of $50,000 bail.
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the alert citizens of Anderson Valley for sharing information on the whereabouts of Stearns and their assistance in locating and safely taking him into custody.
ED NOTE: Having known Stearns for the past decade, I am surprised at all
this. The 74-year-old vic on Redwood Ridge? I know him, too, and hope all
this gets sorted out without further difficulties for both of them.
MS NOTES: Several locals have praised the Sheriff’s office and in particular Sheriff Matt Kendall who was personally involved in the search and arrest of Mr. Stearns. Later on Thursday after Mr. Stearns was arrested, Sheriff Kendall posted this statement on the AVA’s website:
“We had a lot of moving parts during the 4th of July weekend throughout Mendocino County. This week it started with a little track meet at the Comptche Store where we had to chase down a wanted subject who had pulled a crime in Boonville. Luckily my commanders from central sector and the coast responded quickly and we took gold. This was largely due to the locals being good communicators. My hat is off to them. Belinda at the Comptche store had quite the crowd gathering to see why all the patrol cars were in town. She should’ve sold tickets to the event. Following this arrest she was kind enough to set up a small station with water and a bottle of tecnu for those deputies who don’t respond well to poison oak.”
TAKING ACTION TO END HUNGER!
Every summer the Ag Dept has a big garden growing. This year students decided the produce from the garden would be donated to the Anderson Valley Food Bank. The students heard that Federal funding for food banks was being severely reduced.
The students know that many families in Anderson Valley rely on our local food bank to make it month to month.
So a group called the AV FFA Victory Garden was born. Ten FFA members are donating a few hours per week to work in our garden. The FFA members will gain community service hours, a t-shirt and the knowledge that they are helping the community.
The garden was planted just before school let out. The plants have been growing. We are happy to say our first donation will be 36.49 lbs zucchini, broccoli, green onions, a cabbage, kale, and kohlrabi. Soon we will have cucumbers. We hope to have plums and peaches if the ravens don’t get them first.
Anderson Valley FFA
AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF WILD PIGS are digging up yards and property along Robinson Creek in Boonville all the way down to where Robinson Creek joins Anderson Creek and beyond. So far, nobody knows how many pigs are doing the damage. A older Boonville woman with a nice garden has already had hundreds of dollars of damage done to her front yard and she’s worried that the oinker(s) will soon get into her back garden and ruin it. She’s gone through all the hoops she’s been told to go through — Fish & Wildlife, the County Ag Department, a private trapper — and filled out the forms and complaints and provided photos of damage, but all she’s got so far is the run-around. And no predation permit — which requires “verification” by Fish & Wildlife. The County’s “Wildlife Incident Reporting process webpage says, “CDFW Authorized Investigators and support staff strive to review all WIRs [Wildlife Incident Reports] in a timely manner,” but, “The Department is currently experiencing a high volume of human-wildlife conflict (HWC) and related wildlife incident reports. We appreciate your patience.” The woman is now considering an all-night vigil with a rifle, but that’s not much of a solution either. We’ve experienced some minor pig damage in the AVA HQ yard area too, but nothing serious yet. Ever since the County cancelled the Wildlife Services (Federal Trapper) Contract, people in Mendocino have been left to not only navigate the bureaucracy on their own, but to try to deal with the problem with very little help or experience or equipment. The local woman, and anyone else who has suffered damage from these beasts would greatly appreciate any substantive advice before it gets much worse.
Obviously, trying to deal with feral hogs on one’s own is not simple: https://feralhogs.tamu.edu/trap-design/
(Mark Scaramella)
BILL KIMBERLIN
When I drive up from the City, just as I turn onto my dirt road, there is Brock Organic Farm (real organic not Safeway organic). Elegant in it’s simplicity. No sales clerk. You weigh your veggies, make your change and you are done.
FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS RE: THE ONE TASTE ORGASM CULT BASED IN PHILO
VELMA'S FARM STAND AT FILIGREEN FARM
Closed Friday 4th Of July , Open Saturday & Sunday 11-4pm
This week's offerings include: blueberries, peaches (limited!), tomatoes (limited!), eggplant, carrots, sprouting broccoli, lettuce mix, butterhead lettuce, scallions, summer squash, kale, chard, beets, cabbage, cauliflower, fresh garlic, basil, parsley, olive oil, and dried fruit! Reminder: We are closed this Friday for the holiday. We will resume normal hours on Saturday AND Sunday (11AM - 4PM)! Follow us on Instagram for updates @filigreenfarm or email [email protected] with any questions. All produce is certified biodynamic and organic.
CAT SPYDELL
Our Dragonwood dragonhead stump was covered up by plants so I retrieved it, relocated it, cleaned it up, & gave it a blown-glass eye, created years ago by my glass artist daughter Cassidy!
Be First to Comment