Latest news with #Bauckholt
Boston Globe
16-05-2025
- Boston Globe
Woman connected to the Zizians fired the bullet that killed a Vermont border agent, report says
About 30 minutes into the stop, the agents asked Youngblut and Bauckholt to get out of their car to be questioned, the border agency said in its report, which doesn't name anyone involved. They reported that Youngblut 'suddenly drew a firearm and opened fire,' killing the agent David Maland, it said. One of four agents on the scene returned fire, striking Youngblut once in the arm and once in the leg. The same agent reported that Bauckholt began drawing a firearm from his side and that he ordered him to stop. Advertisement The agent said the man 'failed to comply' and that he fired twice on the man, striking Bauckholt twice in the chest. Two minutes after that exchange, an agent radioed in that another had suffered a critical gunshot wound to the neck, the report said. Agents and a Vermont state trooper rendered aid to him and he was driven to a hospital, where he died. Advertisement Youngblut was arrested and police attempted to place a tourniquet on her leg while awaiting emergency responders, according to the report. In total, that agent fired about eight rounds and Youngblut fired four, according to the border agency. Two guns were later recovered from the scene that had been in Youngblut and Bauckholt's possession, authorities said. On Jan. 19, a border patrol agent assigned to a Homeland Security Investigations Task Force notified the border patrol Newport Station management of a report that the couple had checked into a hotel wearing black tactical gear on Jan. 13, according to the report. At least one of them was carrying a gun and both arrived in the Prius they were later in during the shootout. The agent advised the Newport station that state and federal law enforcement officials 'had previously identified the male as a German citizen, in possession of a H1B visa with unknown immigration status.' Youngblut is charged with intentionally using a deadly weapon towards federal law enforcement, and using and discharging a firearm during an assault with a deadly weapon. She pleaded not guilty. When asked to comment on the report, Fabienne Boisvert-DeFazio, a spokesperson for the US Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont, said the office 'does not comment on ongoing cases beyond the public record.'
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Woman connected to the Zizians fired the bullet that killed a Vermont border agent, report says
A woman charged in the January killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent during a Vermont traffic stop fired the bullet that struck him in the neck, authorities say in a new report. Another agent fired back during the Jan. 20 stop, wounding Teresa Youngblut and killing her companion, Felix Bauckholt, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement Wednesday. Youngblut and Bauckholt were affiliated with the Zizians, a cultlike group that has also been linked to killings in Pennsylvania and California, authorities allege. The shootout happened after an agent pulled them over on Interstate 91 a few miles (kilometers) from the Canadian border. About 30 minutes into the stop, the agents asked Youngblut and Bauckholt to get out of their car to be questioned, the border agency said in its report, which doesn't name anyone involved. They reported that Youngblut 'suddenly drew a firearm and opened fire," killing the agent David Maland, it said. One of four agents on the scene returned fire, striking Youngblut once in the arm and once in the leg. The same agent reported that Bauckholt began drawing a firearm from his side and that he ordered him to stop. The agent said the man 'failed to comply' and that he fired twice on the man, striking Bauckholt twice in the chest. Two minutes after that exchange, an agent radioed in that another had suffered a critical gunshot wound to the neck, the report said. Agents and a Vermont state trooper rendered aid to him and he was driven to a hospital, where he died. Youngblut was arrested and police attempted to place a tourniquet on her leg while awaiting emergency responders, according to the report. In total, that agent fired about eight rounds and Youngblut fired four, according to the border agency. Two guns were later recovered from the scene that had been in Youngblut and Bauckholt's possession, authorities said. On Jan. 19, a border patrol agent assigned to a Homeland Security Investigations Task Force notified the border patrol Newport Station management of a report that the couple had checked into a hotel wearing black tactical gear on Jan. 13, according to the report. At least one of them was carrying a gun and both arrived in the Prius they were later in during the shootout. The agent advised the Newport station that state and federal law enforcement officials 'had previously identified the male as a German citizen, in possession of a H1B visa with unknown immigration status.' Youngblut is charged with intentionally using a deadly weapon towards federal law enforcement, and using and discharging a firearm during an assault with a deadly weapon. She pleaded not guilty. When asked to comment on the report, Fabienne Boisvert-DeFazio, a spokesperson for the U. S. Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont, said the office 'does not comment on ongoing cases beyond the public record.'
Winnipeg Free Press
16-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Woman connected to the Zizians fired the bullet that killed a Vermont border agent, report says
A woman charged in the January killing of a U.S. Border Patrol agent during a Vermont traffic stop fired the bullet that struck him in the neck, authorities say in a new report. Another agent fired back during the Jan. 20 stop, wounding Teresa Youngblut and killing her companion, Felix Bauckholt, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement Wednesday. Youngblut and Bauckholt were affiliated with the Zizians, a cultlike group that has also been linked to killings in Pennsylvania and California, authorities allege. The shootout happened after an agent pulled them over on Interstate 91 a few miles (kilometers) from the Canadian border. About 30 minutes into the stop, the agents asked Youngblut and Bauckholt to get out of their car to be questioned, the border agency said in its report, which doesn't name anyone involved. They reported that Youngblut 'suddenly drew a firearm and opened fire,' killing the agent David Maland, it said. One of four agents on the scene returned fire, striking Youngblut once in the arm and once in the leg. The same agent reported that Bauckholt began drawing a firearm from his side and that he ordered him to stop. The agent said the man 'failed to comply' and that he fired twice on the man, striking Bauckholt twice in the chest. Two minutes after that exchange, an agent radioed in that another had suffered a critical gunshot wound to the neck, the report said. Agents and a Vermont state trooper rendered aid to him and he was driven to a hospital, where he died. Youngblut was arrested and police attempted to place a tourniquet on her leg while awaiting emergency responders, according to the report. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. In total, that agent fired about eight rounds and Youngblut fired four, according to the border agency. Two guns were later recovered from the scene that had been in Youngblut and Bauckholt's possession, authorities said. On Jan. 19, a border patrol agent assigned to a Homeland Security Investigations Task Force notified the border patrol Newport Station management of a report that the couple had checked into a hotel wearing black tactical gear on Jan. 13, according to the report. At least one of them was carrying a gun and both arrived in the Prius they were later in during the shootout. The agent advised the Newport station that state and federal law enforcement officials 'had previously identified the male as a German citizen, in possession of a H1B visa with unknown immigration status.' Youngblut is charged with intentionally using a deadly weapon towards federal law enforcement, and using and discharging a firearm during an assault with a deadly weapon. She pleaded not guilty. When asked to comment on the report, Fabienne Boisvert-DeFazio, a spokesperson for the U. S. Attorney's Office for the District of Vermont, said the office 'does not comment on ongoing cases beyond the public record.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Report provides new details about Border Patrol shooting that killed one
COVENTRY, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – A new United States Customs and Border Protection report is providing more specifics about the January 20 shooting that killed Border Patrol Agent Davis 'Chris' Maland. This brand-new summery of the incident released Wednesday, May 14, details what happened during the I-91 vehicle stop in Coventry that also lead to the death of German national Felix Bauckholt. It was confirmed in this report that the driver, Teresa Youngblut, from Washington state discharged four rounds and struck a Border Patrol Agent. One agent returned fire, striking Youngblut once in the leg and arm, according to USCBP. The same agent also reportedly shot Bauckholt, who was ordered to stop drawing his firearm but 'failed to comply'. Fallen VT Border Patrol Agent honored with motorcade While the document does not name the agent shot, it does specify that one individual was hit in the neck, and later succumbed to his wound at a hospital. Maland's official death certificate lists his cause of death as a gunshot wound to the neck. The incident occurred about 20 miles (30 kilometers) south of the border with Canada. Both Youngblut and Bauckholt had ties to the 'Zizians', a cult-like group linked to multiple deaths in other states. Youngblut was charged in connection to Maland's death and recently waived her right to a speedy trial. The associated press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Yahoo
‘Zizian cult' could be tied to Border Patrol agent death
Coventry, VT (myCV) – As details about the shooting death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont continue emerging, new information now shows the two people who were pulled over and involved in the shooting may have ties to a group that's been described as a 'dangerous cult.' Jessica Taylor, a woman who knew Felix 'Ophelia' Bauckholt, the other person killed in the shootout with border patrol on January 20, said Wednesday that Bauckholt may have been a member of a group that some have described to be 'highly intelligent, transgender, vegan' individuals, known as the 'Zizians.' Many of the group's alleged members are facing charges in connection to other killings across the country, including recent ones in California and Pennsylvania. 'I'd say we were pretty close during the year 2022,' Taylor said, referring to Bauckholt. Taylor remembers Bauckholt as being a thoughtful and intelligent person in 2022, who had strong interests in things like mathematics, technology and ethical veganism. She says the last time she spoke with Bauckholt was in 2023, not long before she thinks Bauckholt may have joined the Zizians. 'Ophelia had some secret phone calls during summer 2023, and then later on, like later in the year, she kind of dropped off the radar and cut off contact with everyone,' Taylor said. To paint the picture of how the shooting that claimed the life of Border Patrol Agent David 'Chris' Maland might have ties to other killings nationwide, you have to go back to at least New Year's Day 2022. That's when a couple named Richard and Rita Zajko were found dead in their Pennsylvania home, a case that's still largely unsolved according to Pennsylvania State Police. Authorities say the slain Pennsylvania couple's daughter, Michelle Zajko, is a prime suspect in their killings. Zajko is not only known to own property in Coventry, Vermont, but according to Associated Press reporting, Pennsylvania State Police say she also purchased the guns that were in Bauckholt and Youngblut's possession. Furthermore, Youngblut filed for a marriage license in November 2024 with a person named Maximilian Snyder, who's now being charged in the death of 82-year-old Curtis Lind, a California landlord. Lind was killed just three days before Agent Maland. Taylor says this complicated web appears to lead back to one person: Jack 'Ziz' LaSota, who was arrested in connection to the Pennsylvania killings in 2023, but managed to post bail and hasn't been seen since. Taylor says LaSota leads the Zizian group, to which Bauckholt, Youngblut, Zajko and Snyder may have all been connected. 'I'm guessing that they were having discussions with Ziz and possibly others,' Taylor said, referring to Bauckholt and Youngblut. 'It seems like, based on what was in the car, they might've been preparing for some sort of operation or violence in some form, in terms of having bullets and walkie-talkies and wanting not to be observed.' With the possible connections coming to light, Essex County State's Attorney Vince Illuzzi says people in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom are talking, and some are concerned knowing alleged members of the Zizians own property in the area, and could have been trying to buy more. 'Some call it a 'death cult', some call it a 'vegan cult',' Illuzzi said, referring to the Zizians. 'No one could figure out what connection they (Bauckholt and Youngblut) had, and then as more information came out, it turned out they were there to look at a piece of property in the town of Wheelock.' But why were Bauckholt and Youngblut looking at property in Wheelock? Some fear it was to grow the Zizian's presence in Vermont. 'Some people have suggested (it's) the rural nature of the Northeast Kingdom, the fact that you can buy weapons without as many restrictions as in other states,' Illuzzi said. 'So, the fear was that they were attempting to establish a base of operation or a greater foothold in the Northeast Kingdom, which somewhat freaked people out.' Adding to people's fears, Illuzzi says he knows someone who went to the property owned by Zajko in Coventry just days after Agent Maland was killed, and had a frightening encounter. 'Someone did go to the residence, and they were met by someone at that cabin who was wearing a sword-type weapon, and the visitor was told to leave,' Illuzzi said. 'Of course, to the people in the areas where these individuals essentially were associating, it's a scary feeling.' Thursday night on ABC22 News, we'll dive deeper into the history of the Zizians with investigative reporters from around the country who've been following the group and reporting on them for an extensive period of time. The story will first air live at 6:00 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
