by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine
An affidavit filed by FBI Special Agent Leah Bogdanowicz on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, in US District Court in Burlington was unsealed today. It describes the events that led to the shooting of a US Border Patrol agent. It also charges Teresa Youngblut, 21, with using a deadline weapon in a case that ultimately led to the deaths of Agent David Maland and the passenger in her vehicle, Felix Baukholt.
The shooting occurred Monday on I-91 southbound in Coventry.
Baukholt is a German citizen and the court document indicates that law enforcement may have believed he had been traveling with an expired visa. The FBI subsequently said his visa was current.
At this point, Youngblut has not been charged with shooting Maland. A Washington state driver’s license in her name was found at the scene.
Youngblut is being treated for a gunshot wound at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Baukholt was pronounced deceased at the scene. Maland was transported to North Country Hospital in Newport, where succumbed to his wounds.
Bogdanowicz said in the document that there is “probable cause to believe that on or about January 20, 2025, within the District of Vermont, Teresa Youngblut intentionally used a deadly weapon-a firearm-while forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, or interfering with Border Patrol Agents while they engaged in-or on account of the performance of-their official duties…”
“Further, there is probable cause to believe that Youngblut used and discharged the firearm during and in relation to the assault with a deadly weapon, which constitutes a crime of violence…”
“I respectfully request the Court issue a criminal complaint charging her accordingly and a warrant for her arrest.”
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The document describes the events as: “On January 20, 2025, at approximately 3:00 pm, an on-duty, uniformed United States Border Patrol (USBP) Agent initiated a stop of a blue 2015 Toyota Prius Hatchback with North Carolina license plate number KLA2040 to conduct an immigration inspection as it was driving southbound on Interstate 91 in Coventry, Vermont. The registered owner of the vehicle, Felix Baukholt, a citizen of Germany, appeared to have an expired visa in a Department of Homeland Security database. Youngblut was driving the Prius, and Baukholt was the lone passenger in the Prius. Multiple uniformed Border Patrol Agents were present at the stop in three USBP vehicles with emergency lights illuminated.
“Between approximately 3:00 pm and 3:15 pm, agents reported gunshots at the scene. Supervisory Border Patrol Agent (SBPA) Cameron Thompson was notified of the incident and responded to the scene of the stop, arriving at approximately 3:35 pm. He spoke with two of the Border Patrol Agents involved in the incident. They described that both Baukholt and Youngblut possessed firearms and that Youngblut drew and fired a handgun toward at least one of the uniformed Border Patrol Agents without warning when outside the driver's side of the Prius. Baukholt then attempted to draw a firearm. At least one Border Patrol Agent fired at Youngblut and Baukholt with his service weapon.
“The exchange of gunfire resulted in Border Patrol Agent Maland, Youngblut, and Baukholt all sustaining gunshot wounds. Baukholt was declared deceased at the scene as a result of his injuries. Border Patrol Agent Maland was transported to North County Hospital for emergency care, but he was pronounced deceased at the facility at approximately 4:00 pm.
“Youngblut was transported from the scene to North County Hospital for emergency medical treatment and was ultimately taken to the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire, where she is presently receiving in-patient medical care.”
Woman charged with discharging firearm during assault of Border Patrol agent
The document also states that a “.40-caliber Glock 23 was secured from on or near Youngblut after the incident, and the .380-caliber M&P Shield was secured from on or near Baukholt after the incident. The evidence located by CSST members would therefore be consistent with Youngblut having fired the .40-caliber Glock 23 at least twice from the driver's side of the Prius, one or more Border Patrol Agents returning fire with at least seven 9-millimeter shots.”
“When searching the scene of the stop, CSST (VSP Crime Scene Search Team) members also located a Washington state driver's license in the name of Teresa Youngblut on the ground near the driver's side of the Prius. The CSST members also collected two packets of suspected cell phones wrapped in what appeared to be aluminum foil that were left behind the USBP Tahoe after the Bomb Squad clearance. The wrapped items are suspected to be cell phones based upon x-ray imagery taken by the Bomb Squad. When inspecting the Prius using the robotic equipment, the Bomb Squad observed several additional electronic devices in the Prius, to include an Apple iPhone, at least two additional cell phones, and multiple laptop computers.
Bogdanowicz goes on to state in the document: “Based on my conversations with law enforcement officers, Baukholt and Youngblut were observed by investigators prior to the stop of the Prius on Interstate 91 between the approximate hours of 11 :30 and 2:35 pm at the Wal-Mart located at 115 Seymour Drive in Newport, Vermont. They observed Baukholt enter the Wal-Mart at approximately 1:00 pm and came out with what was later confirmed by Wal-Mart employees to be two packages of aluminum foil. Youngblut remained in the Prius in the driver's seat. When Baukholt returned to the vehicle, he was seen removing sheets of foil and wrapping unidentifiable objects while seated in the passenger seat. While in the Wal-Mart parking lot, investigators observed Baukholt making at least one phone call on a cell phone outside of the Prius; he was then observed entering the Prius with the cell phone and was not observed discarding it between the observed phone call and the later stop.
“Investigators had been performing periodic surveillance of Baukholt and Youngblut since on or about Tuesday, January 14, 2025. A concerned citizen-an employee of a hotel in Lyndonville, Vermont--contacted law enforcement after a male and a female had checked into the hotel to report concerns about them, including that they appeared to be dressed in all-black tactical style clothing with protective equipment, with the woman, later identified as Youngblut, carrying an apparent firearm in an exposed-carry holster. Investigators with VSP 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. After the contact with law enforcement, the pair checked out of the Lyndonville hotel on the afternoon of January 14, 2025. Investigators later observed the pair in similar tactical dress on Sunday, January 19, 2025, walking in downtown Newport; Youngblut was observed carrying a handgun at that time.
“On January 21, 2025, I applied for and received a federal search warrant for the 2015 Toyota Prius occupied by Youngblut and Baukholt at the time of the stop under District of Vermont case number 2:25-mj-5. FBI agents searched the contents of the Prius on the evening of January.21, 2025, and I have reviewed a preliminary list of pertinent items seized from the Prius pursuant to the warrant. Among those items, I note that the Prius contained various pieces tactical gear-including a ballistic helmet, night-vision-goggle monocular, a tactical belt with holster, and a magazine loaded with cartridges; two full-face respirators; 48 rounds of .380- caliber jacketed hollow point ammunition; a package of shooting range targets (some of which were used); two handheld two-way radios; approximately a dozen electronic devices and multiple removable electronic storage devices; documents containing identification, utility, lease, travel, and lodging information pertaining to multiple states; and an apparent journal found among Youngblut's identification documents.
“Conclusion
“Based on the foregoing, I submit that there is probable cause to believe that on or about January 20, 2025, within the District of Vermont, Teresa Youngblut intentionally used a deadly weapon-a firearm-while forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, or interfering with Border Patrol Agents while they engaged in-or on account of the performance of-their official duties in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 11 l(a) and (b). Further, there is probable cause to believe that Youngblut used and discharged the firearm during and in relation to the assault with a deadly weapon, which constitutes a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)(l)(A)(iii). I respectfully request the Court issue a criminal complaint charging her accordingly and a warrant for her arrest.”
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