A two-day manhunt in McCloud concluded Wednesday afternoon with the arrest of both suspects wanted in connection with a shooting incident that left a Siskiyou County Sheriff’s deputy’s patrol vehicle struck by shotgun fire.
Stephen Robles, 36, and Leanne Varao, 35, both of McCloud, are now in custody following an intensive search that prompted shelter-in-place orders for the small community south of Mount Shasta.
The incident began around 6:15 a.m. Tuesday when a deputy approached a blue pickup truck idling near Upland Road and Eddy Drive outside Mount Shasta city limits. The deputy found two individuals passed out inside the vehicle with what appeared to be stolen property in the truck bed.
After awakening both occupants, the deputy recognized Robles from prior law enforcement contacts. Robles was unlicensed and on parole for second-degree murder at the time, as well as on probation for assault with a deadly weapon and reckless driving.
Robles abruptly fled at high speed, initiating a pursuit. As the vehicles approached Old McCloud Road, the deputy observed a shotgun muzzle appear in the pickup’s rear window. The weapon was fired twice, striking the patrol vehicle. The deputy was fired upon three more times during the chase—on Mount Shasta Boulevard, Highway 89, and finally on Broadway Avenue in McCloud, where the truck disappeared from view.
A resident directed the deputy to the abandoned pickup further down Broadway Avenue. California Highway Patrol and additional Sheriff’s units established a perimeter while the Sheriff’s Office deployed its Special Response team, K9 unit, and drone team. Community members were alerted to shelter in place.
After a continuous search lasting nearly 13 hours, deputies located Robles in the second floor of a garage on Minnesota Avenue around 7 p.m. Tuesday. The following afternoon, investigators received a tip that Varao was hiding in another residence on the same street. She surrendered without incident when law enforcement arrived at approximately 2:45 p.m. Wednesday.
Robles faces charges of attempted murder, reckless driving/felony evasion of a peace officer, receiving stolen property, and knowingly bringing controlled substances into jail. Varao was charged with receiving stolen property. The stolen items recovered from the vehicle were returned to their owner.
Sheriff Jeremiah LaRue praised the multi-agency response and community cooperation.
“I am immensely proud of my team and our partner agencies for their excellent work on this case,” LaRue said. “I also want to say a special thank you to the community of McCloud for helping us. I’m further grateful my deputy was not physically injured when he was shot at by Robles, and hope that justice prevails.”
LaRue added that the case illustrates ongoing concerns about repeat offenders: “This case was yet another dangerous example of how the broken criminal justice system in California allows habitually violent offenders to freely roam the streets and continue to endanger the lives of others.”
Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office at (530) 841-2900 or file a report online through the department’s website.
Siskiyou County Sheriffs Office PR
