Woman charged in Border Patrol Agent shooting

by Joseph Gresser

BURLINGTON — Teresa Youngblut, the woman federal authorities say started the shooting that resulted in the death of Border Patrol Agent David Maland on Interstate 91 on January 20, is facing charges of using a deadly weapon to assault a federal law enforcement officer and using and firing a weapon in connection with such an assault.

The charges were filed in U.S District Court here on Wednesday, January 22.   Ms. Youngblut appeared for an initial hearing Monday afternoon.  She was assigned a public defender, but did not enter a plea to the charges against her.

Acting U.S. Attorney for Vermont Michael Drescher submitted a motion asking for Ms. Youngblut to be held for trial.  That motion includes details about the case that are not included in the affidavit filed by FBI Special Agent Leah Bogdanowicz to show probable cause for the charges.

According to Agent Bogdanowicz, the 2015 Prius that 21-year-old Ms. Youngblut drove was pulled over around 3 p.m. for an immigration inspection.  In addition to the Border Patrol Agent who pulled Ms. Youngblut over, there were other agents in three cruisers, the affidavit says.

Ms. Youngblut and her passenger, Felix Bauckholt, got on the radar of federal law enforcement officers when they walked into a hotel in Lyndonville on January 14 dressed in all black tactical gear wearing sidearms.  The clerk who registered them called police and told them about his guests.

A pair matching the description of Mr. Bauckholt and Ms. Youngblut was also seen in Wheelock by a hunter around that time. He was surprised enough by their mode of dress that he told others about the encounter well before January 20. …

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