Mon Feb 17 21:00:00 UTC 2025: **Cult Suspects Arrested in Connection with Border Patrol Agent’s Murder**

BOSTON (AP) — Two suspects, Jack LaSota (34) and Michelle Zajko (33), have been arrested in Maryland in connection with a multi-state killing spree, including the January 20th shooting death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David Maland in Vermont. Maryland State Police announced the arrests Monday.

LaSota, believed to be the leader of a cult-like group known as the “Zizians,” faces multiple charges including trespassing, obstruction, and weapons possession. Zajko also faces charges. A bail hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

The Zizians are suspected in the death of Agent Maland, who was killed during a traffic stop near Coventry, Vermont, and are also linked to five other homicides across Vermont, Pennsylvania, and California. The FBI searched a Chapel Hill, North Carolina neighborhood on February 5th, where suspects Teresa Youngblut and Felix Bauckholt, connected to the Vermont shooting, had been renting homes.

While details remain scarce, the investigation reveals the group’s origins in online communities, where members shared anarchist beliefs and increasingly violent ideologies. Their motives remain unclear, but online writings suggest interests ranging from radical veganism and gender identity to concerns about artificial intelligence. LaSota, who allegedly used the online moniker “Ziz,” authored a blog with violent and disturbing content, including theories on the duality of the brain and gender. LaSota’s attorney has not commented on the arrests.

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