Lincoln City, Ore. – According to an official press release, the owner of multiple embattled equestrian businesses on the Oregon coast has been arrested by Lincoln City Police in Oregon on six felony counts — including sexual abuse, sodomy, and rape.
Daniel Ryan Sutbegen, 53, was arrested at his business, Happy Trails Feed & Tack & U-Hual Neighborhood Dealer, at 2150 Hwy 101 in Lincoln City, Oregon.
Stuebgen and his ex-wife, Teresa Stuebgen, also own and operate Green Acres Beach & Trail Rides, a horseback trail riding business based in Pacific City.
The Stuebgens have been embattled by numerous State investigations and findings of labor and workers’ compensation violations. Last summer, the Oregon Department of Business & Consumer Services fined Green Acres and the Stuebgens personally for nearly $120,000.
The fine was for failing to maintain workers’ compensation coverage insurance to protect their employees — as required under Oregon law.
Based on records obtained by Equestrian Media Group, Stuebgen repeatedly made false statements and unfulfilled promises to DCBS officials during the course of their inquiries in both 2022 and 2023.
According to court records obtained this afternoon, Stuebgen allegedly committed the crimes involving the minor between June 1st, 2023, and September 30th, 2023.
Equestrian Media Group also learned from previous public records from multiple state agencies last year that the minor victim in Stuebgen’s latest charges had been working as a “volunteer” at Green Acres Beach & Trail Rides. That information was contained in reports by DCBS investigators that were also shared with DHS and BOLI Investigators looking into reports of illegal child labor.
Records obtained recently from the Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB) also indicated that Oregon BOLI is also currently prosecuting both the businesses and the Stuebgens for labor violations. The OSMB licenses outfitter guides across Oregon, including equestrian outfitters who provide guided tours.
According to the Lincoln City Police, the arrest came after a 10-month-long investigation. Stuebgen was previously charged with felony custodial interference in Tillamook County, but those charges were later dropped. Despite the charges being dropped, it appears further investigation continued.
While the charging document does not identify the minor, and our editorial policy is not to name minor sex crime victims, Equestrian Media Group did confirm that Stuebgen’s earlier charges last year involved the same victim.
“The arrest came after a 10 month long [sic] investigation conducted by LCPD’s criminal investigations and patrol divisions as well as the Oregon DHS Office of Training, Investigations and Safety. Mr. Stuebgen is suspected of sexually assaulting a 12 year old [sic] child during the summer of 2023 at Happy Trails Feed and Tack,” said LCPD’s press release.
“During the investigation, it was learned that Mr. Stuebgen was also residing at the business location.”
The Stuebgens were recently back in the spotlight in a viral social media post on a popular equestrian Facebook page after other equestrians highlighted alleged neglect of numerous horses at the location in Pacific City, Oregon. The post quickly received hundreds of comments from many equestrians across Oregon — many upset over the pictured images of the horses.
Last year, the Stuebgens faced scrutiny after officials with a local rescue organization (who had previously had a positive disposition with Teresa Stuebgen) uncovered widespread neglect when they went to look into complaints and see if they could help. The details uncovered ultimately caused an uproar among the local community and calls for criminal prosecution.
Those allegations also involved reports (confirmed by a video obtained by Equestrian Media Group) of a chicken also being burned alive by a teenage grandson of the Stuebgens.
The Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office has yet to release any records requested by Equestrian Media Group, citing an ongoing investigation. However, TCSO also blasted this publication and its reporters for questioning that cited specific statements made on social media and in interviews by local citizens critical of TCSO’s investigations into animal neglect cases.
That resulted in TCSO effecting a blacklist of this publication’s reporters and stating they would no longer respond to any inquiries from this publication.
In response, the Stuebgens also released a scathing statement denying the allegations, attacking the rescue officials and this reporter — claiming he would be filing a lawsuit.
Since that statement a year ago, no lawsuit has appeared to have been filed against any of the parties Stuebgen alleged he would be suing.
The Stuebgens’ former business associate, John Bonander, who operated West Coast Camels alongside Green Acres Beach & Trail Rides, was also convicted in February after his December 2022 arrest for filming minors in a bathroom at the businesses where Bonander also resided.
Rumors have also recently circulated that Teresa Stubgen and Green Acres Beach & Trails were evicted from a property off Resort Drive in Pacific City that served as the overnight facility for their animals — though the reports could not be confirmed by Equestrian Media Group.
Stuebgen, who was arraigned earlier today in Lincoln County Circuit Court, was denied bail pursuant to ORS 135.240(4)(a) by Judge Joseph Allison. He remains lodged in the Lincoln County Jail.
He is scheduled to appear next for a preliminary hearing on June 20th at 4:30pm.
Investigators are currently seeking additional information on the case involving Mr. Stuebgen.
“If you have any information on this case please contact Det. Charles Lane at the Lincoln City Police Department, 541-994-3636,” said the LCPD.
This is a breaking and actively developing story. Please check back for updates.
Note: For transparency, this reporter was previously engaged in civil litigation with the Steubgens and their businesses, stemming from a 2019 incident prior to NW Horse Report and this reporter’s involvement. This reporter was also a victim in a case brought by prosecutors against John Bonander that resulted in his conviction in 2022 for telephonic harassment.
