Soldotna woman accused of attacking neighbor with knife

A Soldotna woman was arraigned Friday in Kenai on charges of assault after allegedly attacking two people with a knife Thursday evening.

Dawn Ellis, 41, is charged with two counts of assault in the second degree with a weapon, one count of burglary in the first degree and one count of assault in the third degree, according to online court documents.

During her arraignment Friday at the Kenai Courthouse, Magistrate Jennifer Wells read aloud Ellis’ charging documents and probable cause statement. In it, she is accused of crossing the street from her home on Banner Lane in Soldotna and entering the home of Garrett Mayer with a knife.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Officers wrote in the statement that she spoke to Mayer from her driveway, then entered his house about half an hour later, where she tried to attack him, Wells read. Mayer said the first encounter with Ellis happened around 6:30 p.m. Thursday, and that she came into the house around 7:10 p.m. He said his wife later called 911.

According to the probable cause statement Wells read, Mayer’s mother Ginger Mayer, who was visiting at the time, grabbed a broom and hit Ellis over the head and shoulders with it, but it had no effect.

Garrett Mayer got a few cuts on both hands while he tried to wrestle the knife away from Ellis, Wells read from the statement. His mother was also cut.

Ellis allegedly dragged Garrett Mayer outside by the hair before letting go and returning to her own home, according to the statement. When officers arrived, Ellis originally would not open the door and spoke to officers through an open window, Wells read from the statement. Soldotna Police Chief Peter Mlynarik said at least three Soldotna Police officers responded to the incident. Garrett and Ginger Mayer addressed the court before Wells set bail for Ellis, saying they would prefer Ellis not be able to return to her house across the street from theirs.

“I think it’s important to order a high enough bail,” Ginger Mayer said. “I believe she intended to murder (Garrett Mayer). I was there, it was horrifying.”

Wells set Ellis a $10,000 cash performance bail and ordered that she have a third-party custodian. She is not to have contact with the Mayer family, Wells said, but can return to her home. Assault in the second degree and burglary in the first degree are class B felonies that can carry a punishment of up to 10 years in jail and a fine of up to $100,000. Assault in the third degree is a class C felony punishable by up to five years in jail and a fine of up to $50,000.

Reach Megan Pacer at megan.pacer@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in News

People carrying flags and signs line the Sterling Highway for a “No Kings” protest in Soldotna, Alaska, on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna ‘No Kings’ protest draws hundreds

The nationwide protest came the same day as a military parade organized at the behest of the Trump administration.

Council member Jordan Chilson speaks during a Soldotna City Council work session in Soldotna, Alaska, on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Soldotna council mulls change to meeting time

Meetings would be moved from 6 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. under a resolution set to be considered on June 25.

Mountain View Elementary School is photographed on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022 in Kenai, Alaska. (Ashlyn O’Hara/Peninsula Clarion)
Mountain View vandalized by children, police say

Staff who arrived at the school on Monday found significant damage, according to police.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy compares Alaska to Mississippi data on poverty, per-pupil education spending, and the 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress 4th grade reading scores during a press conference on Jan. 31, 2025. Alaska is highlighted in yellow, while Mississippi is in red. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Dunleavy vetoes education funding to $500 BSA increase

Per-student funding was increased by $700 in an education bill passed by the Alaska Legislature in May.

The entrance to the Kenai Peninsula Job Center is seen here in Kenai, Alaska on April 15, 2020. (Photo by Brian Mazurek/Peninsula Clarion file)
Minimum wage increases to $13 per hour on July 1

Since 2014, Alaska’s minimum wage has increased from $7.75 to $11.91 through the Alaska Wage and Hour Act.

Leads for the Sterling Safety Corridor Improvements Project field questions and showcase their “preferred design” during an open house meeting at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Preferred design alternative for Sterling Highway safety corridor introduced at town hall

The project is intended to redesign and construct improvements to the highway to reduce the number of fatal and serious collisions.

Alaska State Troopers badge. File photo
Recovered remains confirmed to be missing Texas boaters; fourth set of remains found

Remains were recovered from the vessel sank that in Kachemak Bay last August.

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Superintendent Clayton Holland speaks during a meeting of the KPBSD Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
KPBSD issues notice of non-retention to pool managers, theater techs and library aides

Those notices were issued due to the ongoing uncertainty in state education funding.

National Guard members put on hazmat suits before entering the simulation area on Monday, June 9, 2025. (Natalie Buttner / Juneau Empire)
National Guard begins exercise in Juneau simulating foreign terrorist attacks

Operation ORCA brings 100 personnel to Juneau, disrupts traffic around Capitol.

Most Read