Head of sect connected to numerous murders captured in Maryland

Jack LaSota, the leader of a cultlike group associated with multiple killings, was arrested in Maryland for trespassing and other crimes. LaSota, who goes by “Ziz” and has warned about the dangers of artificial intelligence, was taken into custody along with two others. Authorities are working with federal law enforcement on an ongoing investigation. LaSota was previously believed to have died in a boating accident in 2022, but has since been linked to violent attacks, including the fatal shooting of a Border Patrol officer in Vermont. One of LaSota’s associates, Michelle Zajko, was taken into custody in connection with the killing of her parents but has not been charged. Another follower, Ophelia Bauckholt, was fatally shot in an exchange of gunfire with Border Patrol agents, and the circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation. The person riding with Bauckholt during the shooting, Teresa Youngblut, has pleaded not guilty to firearms charges. Federal authorities are seeking help from firearms dealers in Vermont to identify any purchases made by Zajko, who is considered a person of interest in the fatal shooting of the Border Patrol officer. LaSota had been charged with obstructing the investigation into the deaths of Zajko’s parents and was released on bail before failing to appear in court, leading to a bench warrant for her arrest.

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