Edhat Staff
Julia Di Sieno mugshot from February 2018 (SBSO)
The Santa Ynez woman who runs a wildlife rescue center was arrested again in a dispute with her neighbors. This time she’s accused of assaulting a man with her vehicle.
Julia Di Sieno, the 57-year-old owner and operator of the Animal Rescue Team (ART), was arrested Saturday evening for allegedly following her neighbor in her truck to the El Rancho Market. When the man exited his vehicle, Di Sieno is accused of driving her truck in his direction, striking him on the shoulder with a side mirror, and fleeing the scene, reports KEYT News.
According to reports, although the victim was uninjured and declined treatment, witnesses at the scene and video evidence supported his claims.
Di Sieno was arrested on Sunday morning and charged with Assault with a Deadly Weapon and a bail set at $30,000.
This is the second arrest for Di Sieno in connection with the feud between her neighbors. She was taken into custody in February of this year for violating a criminal protective order filed by her neighbors, Mary and Richard Nohr. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the violation was linked to firearms DiSieno failed to turn in stemming from a criminal protective that included accusations of stalking and criminal threats. DiSieno was released from custody several days later and denied the stalking allegations.
Past Articles
February 7, 2018: Wildlife Rescuer Arrested in Feud with Neighbors
Some people don’t take criticism well and even here she’s come down hard on posters who questioned her judgement or argued with her. But hey… why single her out? The current occupant of the WH ain’t much different.
As reported elsewhere Ms Di failed to turn in her firearms despite a court order and was charged with a four count misdemeanor. The sheriff got a court order to search and remove the arms…..fortunately. Why only a misdemeanor and not a felony? The existing gun laws need to be enforced.
Unfortunately there is no age at which a person is guaranteed not to become mentally ill. Also unfortunately, delusional illness that hits in middle to late middle age is quite treatment resistant. Based on the currently know information there is reason to suspect that she has a well developed and well defended paranoid thought system to explain her behavior. She is dangerous.
From what I remember from her previous case, she got new neighbors, and the new neighbors didn’t like all the noise, all day & all night, from the rescued animals. And, it didn’t seem like she was interested in any suggestions on how to remedy the situation.
She was an incredible resource, and if you look at photos/videos of her just a few years ago, she had it together. Possibly drugs or alcohol played a part….I have no idea. There are also other physical/mental issues that arise with a woman of her age, which is difficult to handle indeed. Maybe a help group for women with psychological problems would be a better route than sending her off to prison for attempted murder (if that’s the charge for purposely running someone over in a parking lot). God help us all if we were in her shoes…..not to mention all of the animals that will not receive her care or attention.
Stable people don’t “flip out.”
Downward spiral steepening.
Oh geez not again. Clearly Miss Di Sieno needs some help, I hope she’s able to get it.
So sad. This woman has been complimented here for her good work in saving wildlife. Unfortunate she has to be so aggressive with her neighbors.
This is very sad, but predictable. I am not a mental health professional, but have been around long enough to have seen many extreme animal “caretakers” who are unable to socialize with their fellow human beings. Someone who takes care of kittens in the morning, but stalks their intended victim in the afternoon with the intent of running them ovrr in a murderous rampage…well. Mental illness is no laughing matter. She has demonstrated that she can no longer function in society. Sad indeed.
If she was a man she’d be in jail for attempted murder
I have absolutely NO idea why my comment would offend anyone and get deleted.
Some posters have an agenda. Your post may have been down voted because of something you said on another thread.
Can somebody (COASTWATCH, interested, please?) contact her and ask if she would be in agreement on another site? She could sell her house, and maybe Edhatters could do a Go Fund Me for her new, out of the way, site. I agree, who will do her animal care work? She’s an advocate for the voiceless wild animals.
A ‘Go Fund Me’ to help her relocate? She needs to put her thinking cap on. She could have mitigated a similar situation for herself already. This is a pissing match at this point. She and her neighbors need a time out. All parties involved aren’t acting like normal adults.
Why should another organization facilitate a relocation for her? If she’s so well versed in regard to the animals she serves, she should be able to facilitate for herself. Crying victim and victimizing others is a waste of her resources. There’s something grandiose in the way she thinks and operates.
Let me add:
I appreciate organizations that aid animals, domestic and wildlife. I learned of her organization thru another media. Immediately found and read about all of this drama, this isn’t where I’d donate, because now the cause isn’t the animals she helps, it’s her cause. I hope that makes sense.
She has lovingly and heroically cared for, and fought authorities, for animals for a long long time. Have we forgotten all her sacrifices? Under the banner, “what have you done for me lately”…I’m glad she didn’t live by that notion, herself. Forgive her. Help her. This Sunday, some religions believe in resurrection…the rising of the dead at the Last Judgment. Seems appropriate here, in some sense. Or, if you prefer W. Shakespeare, Et tu, Brute?
Her her I’m what way? Because now she’s in need of financial resources to legally defend herself, I assume. Are you asking for money or prayers? To assist her legal issues or organization?
Help her in what way….
While not defending her actions in any way, I am curious as to why the new neighbors bought the property if the noise is non-stop, day and night. Due diligence requires a buyer to check this out and for the seller to disclose the problem if it was known to them. If it is that bad, why did they notbuy somewhere else?
Great questions, but the “new” neighbors definirely had no idea that she was armed to the teeth, and prone to regular psychological breakdowns all the time. No one would knowingly buy a house next to a known stalker who purposely hunts down neighbors and hits them with their truck….or maybe it’s just me who thinks this way. Possibly she could go into a different line of work where she did not have to deal with people.