‘Mule Man’ wouldn’t stop walking in the road near Paso Robles. So officers arrested him
“Mule Man” John Sears was recently arrested near Paso Robles after drivers complained the nomad and his animals were creating a traffic hazard by walking in the middle of the road.
The 76-year-old, who calls himself “Mule,” is a well-known wanderer and public land activist who travels around California with his mules. His overall philosophy stresses connecting with the natural world and curbing development, which he calls “Megatropolis.”
CHP officers responded to Nacimiento Lake Road near Chimney Rock Road on Jan. 23 and found Sears and his two current mules, “Little Girl” and “Little Ethel,” walking in the middle of the westbound lane, according to a CHP Templeton news release.
Dispatchers received at least seven calls from drivers “reporting the man and his mules were an extreme traffic hazard and nearly causing collisions,” the release says.
The mules were walking side-by-side, causing vehicles to cross over the double-yellow line and into the other lane to avoid Sears and his mules.
CHP officers asked Sears to move out of the roadway. He initially complied, but CHP officers returned after receiving additional calls.
“Mr. Sears stated he had no intention of walking on the shoulder and claimed he had a right to be in the roadway,” the release says. “It was everyone else’s responsibility to slow for him.”
Officers arrested Sears on suspicion of willfully failing or refusing to comply with an order from law enforcement, the release says.
He was booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail, and his mules were turned over to San Luis Obispo County Animal Control.
Sears was released from jail the next day on his own recognizance, and the mules were returned to his custody.
‘Mule Man’ and law enforcement
Sears has previously been arrested and ticketed numerous times for illegal camping and roadway violations. In May 2014, San Luis Obispo police cited him for illegal lodging near Woodbridge Street around the railroad tracks.
That citation was dismissed in February 2015, according to San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Records.
Sears’ unusual lifestyle has previously been featured in The Tribune, the Sacramento Bee and The Atlantic. He has a large fan base on his 3 Mules Facebook page, which has nearly 50,000 followers, and his website, where he posts updates about his adventures.
Sears wrote about the incident on his blog and claimed he had a right to be on the road, as do all horse-drawn vehicle drivers and horseback riders.
“There was no side roads to take off on,” Sears wrote. “There was nothing but (Nacmiento Lake Road). There was no cell phone service for us to call or post for trailer assistance. The officer offered no alternative means for which we could safely proceed to our destination of Paso Robles.”
After his arrest, followers of Sears’ Facebook page helped him and his mules return to Templeton to retrieve their belongings.
He wrote that his court arraignment is on March 23, although the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office has not yet filed charges against him, according to court records.
This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 2:33 PM.
