A 42-year-old Nevada man, Russell Maxwell Phay, has been arrested and charged after allegedly breaking into the California mansion of Beanie Babies founder Ty Warner and beating a 60-year-old woman. The victim is currently in a coma after suffering a brain injury.
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According to a press release issued by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office (SBCSO), the incident took place on May 21. At around 4:31 p.m., deputies responded to a then-unspecified problem inside Warner’s mansion located on Fairway Road. The information deputies had at the time was of a possible break-in or vehicle theft.
However, upon arrival, responding deputies found a 60-year-old woman outside the residence. She had sustained severe injuries. Since then, the victim has been identified as Linda Malek-Aslanian, according to various media outlets, including NBC News.
Deputies and other law enforcement agents established a perimeter around the mansion. At the time, officers were made aware that the suspect, Phay, was still inside the house. It was unknown at the time if there were other occupants inside the home or if Phay had taken hostages.
Upon entering the residence, deputies learned that all the mansion’s occupants had escaped. However, according to the SBCSO, Phay remained inside, choosing to barricade himself in an upstairs restroom. Deputies attempted to de-escalate the situation, trying to get Phay to exit the restroom.
However, Phay allegedly attempted to climb out of the restroom’s second-story window. Reportedly, he managed to jump out of the window. Once on the ground, he was apprehended by deputies and a Sheriff’s K9.
Suspect Charged, Victim In Coma
Russell Maxwell Phay was charged with attempted murder, burglary, kidnapping, and assault, according to a criminal complaint. He is currently being held at the Santa Barbara County Southern Branch Jail and is not eligible for bail.
Currently, the victim, Malek-Aslanian, is fighting for her life as she remains in a comatose state after sustaining a serious brain injury. According to her social media accounts, she is a financial services expert and works as an agent at New York Life Insurance Company.
According to the criminal complaint, billionaire Ty Warner, the owner of the mansion, was at home at the time of the incident.