A woman who reportedly shot at U.S. border patrol agents in northern Vermont, causing the death of one agent, used a gun purchased by someone linked to a double murder in Pennsylvania, federal attorneys stated on Monday.
Teresa Youngblut was in a car with Felix Bauckholt, a German citizen when border patrol officers stopped them for an immigration check on January 20. During the traffic stop, Youngblut shot at the agents, causing at least one agent to return fire, according to court papers.
One of the agents, David “Chris” Maland, 44, was shot and killed during the gunfight. Bauckholt was shot and killed after he pulled out a gun, according to court papers, and Youngblut was hurt in the incident. The court papers do not specify if Maland was hit by a bullet fired by Youngblut or by a shot from another agent.
The shooting happened on a highway in rural Orleans County, about 20 miles south of the Canadian border.
Youngblut is set to be tried Monday afternoon on two federal counts, including assaulting a border patrol agent with a deadly weapon.
In court documents filed earlier Monday, federal officials in Vermont stated that Youngblut and Bauckholt had guns that were bought by a Vermont resident in February 2024. A person, who has not been named, is being looked at in connection with a double murder in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, according to authorities.
Bauckholt arrived in the U.S. just hours before the killings in Pennsylvania. Prosecutors mentioned that Youngblut has often been in touch with someone who was held during the investigation of the double murder.
The person is being investigated in a murder case in Vallejo, California, according to federal authorities. No more information was given.
Prosecutors asked a judge to keep Youngblut in jail, claiming she is a threat to the community and might try to escape. They said that it’s unknown where her main home is and what her connections to Vermont are.
“In the beginning, the meeting between the U.S. Border Patrol and the people in the car was calm. However, the driver’s behavior turned it into a confrontation, and she then escalated the situation to deadly violence without reason,” they stated in the court document.
Prosecutors stated that Youngblut and Bauckholt were carrying many guns and tactical gear. This included 48 bullets for a .380 caliber gun, a ballistic helmet, and night vision equipment.
Homeland Security Investigations had been watching the pair since January 14, according to court papers.
An employee of a hotel in Lyndonville, Vermont, had called law enforcement to report concerns about a man and a woman who had checked into the hotel, the documents say. The woman, later named Youngblut, was reportedly seen holding what looked like a gun in a visible holster. Court papers state that both Bauckholt and Youngblut were dressed in black tactical clothing and wore protective gear.
When the Toyota Prius was pulled over, Bauckholt, who owns the car, seemed to have an outdated visa in a Homeland Security database, according to court papers. The FBI said that Bauckholt had a valid visa.
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