Identified Barricaded Suspect Arrested After Violent Montecito Home Invasion
This article has been updated to include additional information from a Thursday morning booking log from Santa Barbara Sheriff and a response from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.
MONTECITO, Calif. – A suspect was taken into custody Wednesday evening after violently attacking a woman inside a Montecito estate and barricading himself from deputies during a major law enforcement response that shut down parts of Channel Drive.
According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to an "unknown type problem" around 4:31 p.m. on May 21st at a private residence of Beanie Babies's creator, Ty Warner, in the 1000 block of Fairway Road. The initial report was of a possible home invasion or vehicle theft in progress.
When deputies arrived, they found a woman outside the residence suffering from severe injuries sustained in an assault. She was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Deputies soon learned the male suspect was still inside the home, but it was unclear whether any other occupants remained or if anyone was being held hostage.
Law enforcement quickly established a perimeter, rerouting traffic away from Channel Drive near the bird refuge and the roundabout at Los Patos Way and Cabrillo Boulevard. Units from the California Highway Patrol, the Santa Barbara Police Department, and Santa Barbara County’s South Coast Patrol responded. A sheriff’s helicopter circled overhead, and the Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Team arrived with two BearCat armored rescue vehicles.
Deputies entered the residence to check for additional victims and confirmed that all other occupants had safely escaped. They found the suspect barricaded in an upstairs restroom. A crisis-trained Co-Response Team deputy attempted to negotiate with the man.
Instead of surrendering, the suspect tried to escape by climbing out of a second-story bathroom window. He jumped to the ground, where deputies and a Sheriff’s K9 apprehended him.
The suspect has been identified as 43-year-old Russell Maxwell Phay, a resident of Nevada. He was booked at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail on multiple felony charges, including burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, battery causing serious bodily injury, and kidnapping. He also faces a misdemeanor charge for obstruction.
A Thursday morning booking log shows Phay is being held on a first degree attempted murder charge, and his bail is now set at $1,000,000.
Investigators say there is no indication the victim and suspect knew each other.
News Channel reporter Tracy Lehr reported live from the scene, describing dozens of law enforcement vehicles—many unmarked—surrounding the estate, which is located across from the Music Academy of the West and near the property of Beanie Babies billionaire Ty Warner.
Several residents and bystanders were prevented from returning to their homes. Sylvia Cruz, who was trying to meet her daughter nearby, said, “I got off from my job and started hearing the police and ambulances. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but it was scary for me.”
Cary Jones and his wife were walking their dog nearby when the incident escalated. “We were on a walk when we saw a couple of highway patrolmen with automatic rifles,” he said. Their car was later blocked in by law enforcement vehicles. One of the unmarked units had to be towed due to a dead battery.
According to the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office, a report about criminal threats made over the phone by a Russell Maxwall Phay against a couple in the Arroyo Grande area was taken on May 22, 2024.
The couple did not know Phay, but investigating detectives believed he was living in Nevada or San Francisco at the time after he could not be reached added the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's in response to Your News Channel inquiries Thursday.
Reports from Siskiyou County show Phay was booked into their jail in 2017 and 2019 for battery and assault.
The investigation into this incident remains ongoing and authorities say more details will be released as they become available.
