Police in Maryland have apprehended the alleged leader of a “transgender vegan cult” that is tied to half a dozen deaths across the country.
On Sunday, police arrested 34-year-old Jack LaSota alongside Michell Zajko, 33. Zajko is also reportedly a member of the group known as “Zizians” and is a person of interest connected to the double homicide of her parents in Pennsylvania.
Daniel Blank, another member of the group, is also in custody.
As recently reported in The Dallas Express, the Zizians are a radical vegan, “transgender,” and transhumanist cult with members who met online. Most are in their 20s and 30s, some of whom are computer scientists with experience working for Google and NASA.
The group is thought to be involved in the killing of six people, including U.S. Border Patrol agent David Maland. Maland was fatally shot in January by a group believed to be related to the Zizians.
Despite six murders being linked to the group, U.S. officials have provided few details into the broader investigation. The story only recently began to garner more attention following the killing of Maland.
LaSota is known for having published a violent blog using the handle “Ziz.” In one post, he questioned whether the brain’s hemispheres could hold competing values and even genders which “often desire to kill each other,” per The Telegraph.
LaSota has targeted perceived enemies, such as so-called rationalist groups, which prioritize logic, reason, and evidence-based decision-making.
Following the arrest, LaSota and Zajko will face charges of trespassing, obstructing and hindering, and possession of a handgun.