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A woman was taken hostage and severely assaulted by a military veteran who barricaded himself inside the residence of elusive billionaire, Beanie Babies CEO Ty Warner.
Linda Malek-Aslanian, 60, is ‘comatose due to a brain injury’ after being ‘violently beaten’ at Warner’s Montecito estate last Wednesday.
Russell Maxwell Phay, a 42-year-old from Nevada, is alleged to have trespassed into the billionaire’s estate, claiming it as his own and insisting everyone vacate the premises, as reported by The Santa Barbara Independent.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Malek-Aslanian outside with ‘severe injuries’ and Phay ‘barricaded’ in a second-story bathroom.
Despite attempting to dodge arrest by leaping from a bathroom window, sheriff’s deputies along with K-9 units detained and subdued him, according to a press release obtained by DailyMail.com.
Phay was charged with attempted murder, burglary, kidnapping, and assault. The former Army combat soldier, who previously claimed he was ‘trained to eliminate’ his enemies, is being held at the Santa Barbara County jail and is not eligible for bail.
Warner, 80, was at the mansion – located in Montecito, a southern California celebrity enclave that home to dozens of stars including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – during the attack, but not unharmed. It is unclear if he and Phay ever occupied the same room.
Officials do not believe that Phay personally knew the CEO or his alleged victim Malek-Aslanian, a financial services expert ‘who once worked for Warner’s hotels division’, KSBW reports.
Linda Malek-Aslanian, 60, (pictured) is ‘comatose due to a brain injury’ after being ‘violently beaten’ by a combat veteran who invaded billionaire Beanie Babies CEO Ty Warner’s mansion in Montecito, California last Wednesday
Russell Maxwell Phay, 42, of Nevada, (pictured in his 2018 mugshot) allegedly broke into the billionaire’s home, proclaimed it was his property and demanded everyone leave, before violently assaulting the victim
Police responded to reports of a disturbance at Warner’s mansion in the 1000 block of Fairway Road shortly after 4.30pm Wednesday
Police responded to reports of a disturbance at Warner’s mansion in the 1000 block of Fairway Road shortly after 4.30pm Wednesday.
The suspect – later identified as Phay – was holed up inside the property in what authorities feared could be an ongoing hostage situation.
A BearCat armored vehicle, K-9 officers and a helicopter were deployed as officers established a perimeter around the residence.
Officers entered the home in search of victims and discovered that the occupants had all escaped, but did find Phay hiding in a restroom upstairs.
Crisis negotiators tried to talk him into coming out of the bathroom, but Phay attempted the flee out of the window instead.
He was apprehended, arrested and booked into the Santa Barbara County Southern Branch Jail, where he continues to be held without bail, sheriff’s records show.
Phay was arraigned in Santa Barbara County Superior Court on Friday morning. He pleaded guilty to all the charges against him, prosecutor Kevin Weichbrod confirmed to the Noozhawk newspaper.
Prosecutors allege Phay entered Warner’s home with the ‘intent to commit larceny’ before assaulting Malek-Aslanian and inflicting ‘great bodily injury’.
The criminal complaint said Malek-Aslanian ‘was particularly vulnerable’.
Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch told People Magazine that Warner was ‘present’ during the attack but ‘was not physically harmed’. The DA added: ‘He was able to escape and contact authorities.’
Prosecutors allege Phay entered Warner’s home (pictured) with the ‘intent to commit larceny’
A BearCat armored vehicle, K-9 officers and a helicopter were deployed to the estate as officers worked to establish a perimeter around the residence
Phay has been charged with first-degree attempted murder, assault, kidnapping and residential burglary, as well as obstructing or delaying sheriff’s deputies.
Savrnoch, who branded the case as ‘very serious’, has also filed special allegations against Phay, claiming he poses ‘serious danger to society’.
He is due back in court on June 2 for a preliminary hearing.
Phay appears to have a history of alleged violence, with the veteran having been named in a complaint as recently as last year, according to KEYT.
He allegedly threatened a couple, who resided in Arroyo Grande, over the phone.
He was arrested in in Siskiyou County in 2018 and charged with battery and assault, but the case was dismissed last year.
Phay also appeared in court in 2014 after he allegedly threatened his wife and followed her across state lines after she tried to flee with their son.
A violent attack against his wife resulted in a prison sentence, but his release Phay was eligible for diversion programs that targeted ex-military personnel battling mental health issues.
He told The San Francisco Chronicle after his release: ‘They’ve recognized that I am salvageable. I need treatment, and I’ve gotten treatment. I feel like people here understand the brotherhood.’
Ty Warner, 80, (pictured in 2003) was at the mansion during the attack, but was unharmed. It is unclear if he and Phay ever occupied the same room. Officials do not believe that Phay personally knew the Beanie Babies CEO or his alleged victim Malek-Aslanian
Phay left the Army as a trained infantry combat soldier with specialized weapons training, telling the newspaper how ‘I have been trained to eliminate you’.
He admitted that his remark ‘sounds crazy, but it is true.’
Phay was expecting to serve in Kuwait, but his tour of duty expired before he could be deployed.
In the charging documents for his latest alleged offence, DA Savrnoch cited Phay’s previous criminal records, which he claimed were ‘both numerous and of increasing severity’.
He also alleged that Phay’s behavior on probation, parole, and post-release supervision was ‘unsatisfactory’.
