Police arrest alleged leader of anarchist vegan cult tied to series of crimes including CBP agent murder

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The alleged leader and another member of a fringe group of vegan activists on the West Coast, who have been tied to a series of crimes and the murder of a Border Patrol Agent, have been arrested.

The Maryland State Police confirmed to Fox News Digital that Jack “Ziz” LaSota, 34, of Berkeley, California, Michelle Zajko, 32, of Media, Pennsylvania, and another person were arrested Sunday afternoon on a number of charges unrelated to the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David “Chris” Maland.

Police said that shortly after 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 16, LaSota was arrested and charged with trespassing, obstructing and hindering, and firearm in vehicle, while Zajko was arrested on the same charges in addition to resisting arrest, and handgun on person in Frostburg, Maryland. 

LaSota and Zajko are both linked to the cult-like group known as the “Zizians.” The group believed in artifical intelligence theories, ethical reasoning and veganism, the Boston Globe previously reported, citing a former friend of the pair, Jessica Taylor.

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The apparent leader of a cult-like group known as the Zizians has been arrested in Maryland along with another member of the group, Maryland State Police said Monday. (Allegany County Detention Center)

“They have this sort of anarchist, vegan critique of society,” Taylor told the outlet, saying that they believed “you might do some violence that your society disapproves of, but your society does violence anywhere.”

Thr group has been tied in connection to the killing of Agent Maland near the Canadian border in January, along with five other homicides in Vermont, Pennsylvania and California.

A nationwide manhunt was launched for Zajko following Maland’s murder. 

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This undated image courtesy of Joan Maland shows U.S. Border Patrol agent David Maland, who was killed Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, after a traffic stop in Vermont. (David Maland/Joan Maland via AP)

Maland, a Minnesota native and Air Force veteran, worked as a Border Patrol agent at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Newport Station. He spent nine years in the military and 15 working for the federal government. 

It is still unclear what brought members of the group to Vermont.

German national Felix “Ophelia” Bauckholt and University of Washington student Teresa “Milo” Consuelo Youngblut allegedly gunned down Maland near the Canada-Vermont border on Jan. 20, during a traffic stop.

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Previous mugshot of Michelle J. Zajko (FBI)

Zajko allegedly bought .40-caliber and .380-caliber handguns in February 2024 in Mount Tabor, Vermont, that were used in Maland’s shooting, the Albany Times Union previously reported, citing court documents. 

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Zajko is also considered a “person of interest” in a double murder in Pennsylvania and another murder in California, prosecutors revealed, without naming her. 

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Police added that they are working in coordination with federal law enforcement partners and the Office of the State’s Attorney in Allegany County as this investigation continues.        

Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and Brie Stimson contributed to this report.

Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com