Teresa Youngblut arrested in connection to fatal shooting of Border Patrol agent in Vermont
A woman from Washington state has been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of a U.S. Border Patrol Agent, which happened on Monday.
Teresa Youngblut, 21, was charged Wednesday in federal court with charges of using a deadly weapon to assault, resist or impede federal law enforcement, as well as another charge of assault with a deadly weapon, according to court documents obtained by Paste BN.
The arrest and charges come following the Monday shooting death of a U.S. Border Patrol Agent in Vermont near the Canadian Border. The agent killed was identified as David Maland, 44, in a post from the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association.
Maland was assigned to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Swanton Sector, which covers parts of Vermont, New York, and New Hampshire, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Charging documents obtained by Paste BN detail what police say happened in the incident.
Youngblut's attorney told Paste BN that they had no comment at this time.
A tragic traffic stop
Border patrol agents on Jan. 20 made a traffic stop on a Toyota Prius which was being driven by Youngblut, court documents say. Felix Baukholt, a German national, identified as a passenger in the car, had an expired visa, police said.
During the stop, which took place on Interstate 91 in Coventry, Vermont, Youngblut "fired her handgun without warning toward at least one of the Border Patrol Agents while outside the vehicle," according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont.
"Her German companion also tried to draw a firearm, and at least one Border Patrol Agent fired his service weapon. The exchange of gunfire resulted in Border Patrol Agent David Maland sustaining fatal injuries," the U.S. attorney's office said in a press release.
Maland was rushed to a local hospital where he was declared dead less than an hour later, court documents say. Baukholt was declared dead on the scene following the shooting.
Youngblut was also shot, officials said. She was transported to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center where she remains in treatment, documents say.
“The events leading to this prosecution tragically demonstrate how the men and women of law enforcement regularly put their lives on the line as they try to keep our communities and our country safe,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher for the District of Vermont in the press release.
FBI, police recovered several items from car
Investigators recovered two guns and ammunition magazines, cell phones wrapped in aluminum foil and multiple laptops at the scene, police said.
When agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrived at the scene, they found tactical gear including a ballistic helmet, a night vision monocular, a tactical belt, and hollow-point ammunition in the vehicle. Investigators say Youngblut's journal was also found, along with a package of shooting range targets and two handheld two-way radios.
Youngblut faces a maximum prison sentence of life and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years if convicted of the charges in the complaint, according to the U.S. attorney's office.
Police had observed Youngblut and Baukholt for hours
Court documents also say that both Youngblut and Baukholt had been observed earlier that day at a Walmart in Newport, Vermont.
“They observed Baukholt enter the Wal-Mart at approximately 1 p.m. and came out with what was later confirmed by Wal-Mart employees to be two packages of aluminum foil,” documents say.
Investigators say that Baukholt had been seen wrapping things with the aluminum foil inside the car. Documents also say the pair had been under observation by police since at least Jan. 14.
A hotel employee in Lyndonville, Vermont informed police of the pair's whereabouts after seeing them dressed in tactical-style clothing and with Youngblut allegedly carrying a gun in an exposed holster, according to court documents.
“Investigators with VSP (Vermont State Police) and Homeland Security Investigations attempted to initiate a consensual conversation with Baukholt and Youngblut, but they declined to have an extended conversation, claiming that they were in the vicinity to look at purchasing property,” documents say.
Days later on Jan. 19, investigators said they saw the pair again in downtown Newport, Vermont, with Youngblut allegedly carrying a firearm.
The ongoing investigation is being conducted by the FBI, Border Patrol, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in coordination with Homeland Security, plus the Vermont State Police, the Newport (Vt.) Police Department, and the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department, the U.S. attorney's office said.
Contributing: Bart Jansen.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for Paste BN. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.