Crime
Washington State Woman Arrested in Fatal Shooting of U.S. Border Patrol Agent in Vermont
The shooting occurred on Monday afternoon during a traffic stop on Interstate 91 in Coventry, approximately nine miles south of the U.S.-Canada border.
ORLEANS COUNTY, VT – Authorities have identified 21-year-old Teresa Youngblut of Washington State as the second suspect in the fatal shooting of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David “Chris” Maland earlier this week.
Youngblut has been charged with the intentional use of a deadly weapon while forcibly assaulting a federal law enforcement officer and discharging a firearm during an assault, according to court records.
The charges were detailed in an eight-page affidavit filed by the FBI on Wednesday and unsealed in U.S. District Court in Burlington on Thursday morning.
The shooting occurred on Monday afternoon during a traffic stop on Interstate 91 in Coventry, approximately nine miles south of the U.S.-Canada border.
Agent Maland conducted the stop after receiving a lookout alert for the suspects’ vehicle, a blue 2015 Toyota Prius with North Carolina license plates.
Two additional Border Patrol vehicles arrived on the scene before gunfire erupted.
Youngblut and her companion, 30-year-old German national Felix Baukholt, were both armed at the time of the stop. Youngblut allegedly opened fire without warning, striking Maland.
Baukholt attempted to draw a firearm but was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents. Maland sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the neck and was pronounced dead at North Country Hospital in Newport.
According to the FBI affidavit, Youngblut and Baukholt had been under surveillance by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) since January 14. A hotel clerk in Lyndonville had reported concerns after the suspects checked in wearing tactical gear, with Youngblut openly carrying a firearm.
Investigators tracked their movements, including surveillance at a Walmart in Newport on January 20, where Baukholt was observed purchasing aluminum foil and wrapping unknown objects inside the vehicle.
Youngblut and Baukholt were seen walking in downtown Newport on January 19 in similar tactical attire, and both were reported to be armed. Despite multiple attempts by federal agents to engage them in conversation, the suspects refused to cooperate.
Following the shooting, a court-ordered search of the Prius uncovered a significant cache of tactical gear and weaponry, including:
- A ballistic helmet and night-vision monocular
- A tactical belt with a holster and loaded magazine
- Two full-face respirators
- 48 rounds of .380-caliber jacketed hollow point ammunition
- Used and unused shooting range targets
- Two-way radios, electronic storage devices, and identification documents
- Travel and lodging records for multiple states
- A journal maintained by Youngblut
The Vermont State Police Bomb Squad, in coordination with the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), used robotic technology to ensure the vehicle was safe before collecting evidence.
Youngblut, who sustained gunshot wounds during the incident, is currently receiving medical treatment at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. She is expected to appear in federal court as early as this afternoon.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Lasher is leading the prosecution, with the Office of the Federal Defender assigned to represent Youngblut.
The FBI confirmed that Homeland Security Investigations had been conducting an inquiry into the suspects and a potential third accomplice in the days leading up to the shooting.
However, it remains unclear whether Border Patrol agents had been fully briefed on the nature of the investigation before they conducted the traffic stop, a tactic known as a “Whisper Stop,” in which officers are not given full details of an ongoing investigation.
Authorities have also revealed that Baukholt had overstayed his temporary work visa, raising questions about how he obtained a firearm as a non-resident.
Agent David Maland, 44, a K-9 handler with his partner Cora, had served with the Border Patrol for approximately a decade and was engaged to be married. His remains were transported from Burlington to Albany, N.Y., for a flight home to Minnesota.
Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting. Authorities are urging anyone with additional information to contact the FBI or Vermont State Police.
More details will be released as the investigation progresses.
Crime
46-year-old building manager James Stuart killed in shooting at VIDA Fitness gym in Washington Logan Circle neighborhood
Washington, D.C. police have released additional details about a deadly shooting near Logan Circle that left one person dead and four others injured.
Interim Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Jeffery Carroll confirmed that the victim killed in the incident was identified as 46-year-old James Stuart, a building manager from Northwest Washington, D.C.
According to police, the shooting began inside VIDA Fitness, where the suspect allegedly shot Stuart with a handgun. The gunman then returned to his nearby apartment, located on the seventh floor of a building, and opened fire with a rifle from his private balcony or patio, striking four people below near Church Street, 15th Street and a nearby alley.
Two women and two men were wounded in the street shooting. One victim remains in critical condition, while the other three are expected to survive.
MPD and federal law enforcement officers responded within minutes, possibly seconds, of the initial reports. Witnesses and nearby residents helped investigators quickly identify the suspect’s apartment, allowing officers to locate the source of the gunfire.
Police said the suspect fired through the apartment door at members of MPD’s Emergency Response Team on two separate occasions. He subsequently damaged a gas line, intentionally started a fire inside the apartment and turned the gun on himself. Officers later forced their way into the apartment and found him dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Authorities identified the suspect as 55-year-old Matt Wade Lambert, who lived in Northwest Washington, D.C.
Investigators recovered three firearms inside the apartment: a rifle, a shotgun and a handgun. Police believe the suspect used all three weapons during the incident, and preliminary findings indicate that at least some level of planning may have been involved.
According to information provided by police, the suspected motive may have been connected to an ongoing dispute between Lambert and his condominium homeowners association (HOA) management. The disagreement reportedly involved building maintenance and mold issues, along with a lawsuit Lambert had filed. During negotiations with police, much of the conversation reportedly centered on his dispute with the HOA.
Authorities also confirmed that Lambert did not have any firearms registered to him in Washington, D.C. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is investigating how and when he obtained the three weapons.
Police said they have not identified any known connection between Lambert and the four people shot outside the building.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to establish the complete circumstances, timeline and motive behind the deadly shooting.