MONTECITO, Calif. (KTLA) The CEO and founder of the company that makes Beanie Babies was the victim of an alleged burglary that occurred at his California mansion, an incident that included an assault that left a woman in a coma.
A call regarding a possible vehicle theft or home invasion robbery came into deputies in Santa Barbara County around 4:30 p.m. on May 21, according to the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office.
Upon arriving at the scene in Montecito, a woman who had sustained severe injuries from an assault was located outside the residence. She was transported to a nearby hospital by ambulance and remains comatose, authorities said.
The criminal complaint filed May 23 identified her as Linda Malek-Aslanian, 60. Media reports indicate she is a financial services expert who once worked for the hotels division of Ty Warner, the reclusive billionaire who is the CEO and sole owner of Ty Inc., a stuffed toy company known for the famous Beanie Babies.
With a net worth of $6 billion, Warner also owns a portfolio of luxury properties, including the Four Seasons in New York. In 2014, he was sentenced to probation for tax evasion after failing to report more than $24.4 million in income and evading nearly $5.6 million in taxes.
Warner, 80, was listed in the complaint as being home at the time of the incident, although police did not state that information.
“Deputies learned that a male suspect was still inside the residence, but it was unclear if all occupants had safely escaped,” Santa Barbara deputies said on the day of the incident. “Additional deputies, along with allied agencies including CHP and the Santa Barbara Police Department, established a perimeter around the residence…Santa Barbara County Air Support also responded to the area to assist with observations overhead.”
“While deputies attempted to determine if there were possible hostages, the Sheriff’s Office Special Enforcement Team and Crisis Negotiation Team responded with Bearcat armored rescue vehicles,” SBSD elaborated.
It was later determined that all occupants had escaped the home and that the suspect, identified by authorities as Russell Maxwell Phay, had barricaded himself in an upstairs bathroom. Phay, a Nevada resident, attempted to flee by climbing out of a second-story window, but he was apprehended after jumping to the ground.
The 42-year-old was booked for one misdemeanor (obstruction) and several felonies, including burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, battery with serious bodily injury and kidnapping. It is believed that the victims and the suspect were not known to each other.
An SFGate column about a special court for veterans published in 2014 featured Phay, who said at the time that he was in the Army and trained as an infantry combat soldier; however, just as he was expecting to be deployed to Kuwait, his tour ended, and he was out of the military.
“I am fully trained for combat,” he told the outlet. “I have been trained to eliminate you. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s true.”
According to inmate search records, Phay remains in custody at the Southern Branch Jail in relation to the May 21 incident. He is being held without bail.
