Woman Severely Beaten During Invasion at Beanie Babies Tycoon's Residence: Shocking Incident Unfolds
Nevada man detained after allegedly beating woman into a coma at Ty Warner's Montecito mansion.
A Nevada man has been charged with first-degree attempted murder and a series of other violent crimes following a brutal attack inside the Montecito, California, mansion of Beanie Babies tycoon Ty Warner. According to authorities, Russell Maxwell Phay, 42, is accused of breaking into the luxury home and beating a woman, identified as L. Malek Aslanian, leaving her with life-threatening injuries.
The attack took place on May 21 at the residence owned by Warner, the owner of Ty Inc. and creator of the iconic stuffed toys. The complaint, filed by Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch, alleges that Phay unlawfully and with malice attempted to murder Aslanian by inflicting a brain injury so severe she was left in a comatose state.
In addition to the attempted murder charge, Phay faces counts of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, residential burglary with a person present, kidnapping, and obstructing or delaying a peace officer.
When Santa Barbara County sheriff's deputies responded to a reported burglary at the Montecito property, they discovered Aslanian gravely injured inside the mansion. Phay had reportedly barricaded himself in an upstairs bathroom, then jumped from a second-story window in an effort to escape. He was immediately apprehended by police officers and a police K9 unit.
Phay, who is from Henderson, Nevada, remains in custody at the Santa Barbara County Jail on $1 million bail. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance in Santa Barbara Superior Court on June 2.
Representatives from both the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office and the Sheriff's Office declined to comment further on the case. The Santa Barbara Public Defender's Office has also been contacted for remarks regarding Phay's legal representation and plea status.
Further details about the motive behind the attack or the relationship between Phay and the victim have not yet been disclosed by investigators. The case has drawn local attention due to the high-profile nature of the property and Warner's status as a prominent figure in the toy industry.
