The coastal California mansion of Beanie Babies billionaire Ty Warner was the scene of a violent break-in that left a woman in a coma, authorities say.
Warner, the founder of Ty, Inc. whose stuffed animals became a global phenomenon in the 1990s, was home during the attack but managed to escape unharmed, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and a criminal complaint. Officials said there’s no indication suspect knew Warner or the woman who was severely injured.
The violent episode began when the sheriff’s deputies responded to Warner’s home in Montecito, California, after receiving reports of a possible vehicle theft or home invasion.
When they arrived, deputies found a woman who had “sustained injuries outside the residence,” the sheriff’s office said. The woman, who is identified in the complaint as L. Malek-Aslanian, suffered a serious brain injury and was in a coma.
As of Wednesday, her condition had not improved, Raquel Zick, a spokesperson for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
Man arrested after jumping from window of upstairs bathroom
At the scene, investigators learned the suspect was inside the home but were unsure whether there were any possible hostages. Multiple nearby agencies came in to assist as the sheriff’s office brought in air support, several specialized reinforcement teams and an armored vehicle.
Soon, law enforcement agents determined no one was inside the mansion except the suspect, 43-year-old Russell Maxwell Phay, who had barricaded himself in a second-flood bathroom, according to the sheriff’s office. Warner had managed to flee the house unharmed and contacted law enforcement.
A crisis intervention team attempted to talk the suspect out of the bathroom before he attempted to flee, climbing out of a second story window and jumping to the ground outside where he was arrested, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said.
Phay, who is from Nevada, has been charged with attempted first-degree murder, burglary, kidnapping and assault with force, according to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office. Phay is additionally charged with “special allegations for personally inflicting great bodily injury resulting in a coma,” prosecutors said.
During a first appearance, Phay pleaded not guilty to all the charges and is being held on a $1 million bond. It is unclear if he has obtained an attorney.
