Woman charged in the fatal shooting of a Border Patrol agent in Vermont to appear in federal court
Woman charged in the fatal shooting of a Border Patrol agent in Vermont to appear in federal court
Share:
A Washington state woman charged in the fatal shooting of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont, which happened days after authorities began watching her and a German companion who also died in the roadside shootout, is scheduled to appear in federal court Monday.
Teresa Youngblut, 21, faces two weapons charges in connection with the death of Border Patrol Agent David Maland, 44, who died Jan. 20 during the shootout in Coventry, a small town about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the Canadian border. The public defender assigned to represent Youngblut in U.S. District Court in Burlington did not return an email seeking comment.
According to an FBI affidavit, a border agent pulled over Youngblut and Felix Bauckholt on Interstate 91 to conduct an immigration inspection. At the time, Bauckholt appeared to have an expired visa, according to a Department of Homeland Security database, but investigators later confirmed that his visa was current, the FBI said.
Youngblut, who had been driving Bauckholt’s car, got out and opened fire on Maland and other officers without warning, the FBI alleges. Bauckholt tried to draw a gun but was shot, the affidavit states. At least one border agent fired on Youngblut and Bauckholt, but authorities haven’t specified whose bullets hit whom.
“This investigation remains very active, and the legal process continues,” FBI spokeswoman Sarah Ruane said in a statement over the weekend. Investigators had been performing “periodic surveillance” of Youngblut and Bauckholt since Jan. 14 after an employee at a hotel where they were staying reported concerns after seeing Youngblut carrying a gun and she and Bauckholt wearing black tactical gear, according to the affidavit. Investigators tried to question the duo, who said they were in the area looking to buy property but declined to have an extended conversation, the FBI said.
