Chapel Hill Airbnb Rentals Linked to Border Patrol Shooting Investigation Raided
CHAPEL HILL, NC – A quiet Chapel Hill neighborhood became the center of an intense federal raid earlier this month after authorities discovered that two individuals connected to the fatal shooting of a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Vermont had previously lived there.
On February 5, FBI agents and local law enforcement swarmed a cluster of duplexes in Chapel Hill, executing search warrants at two residences. The area, primarily made up of Airbnb rentals, had housed Felix Bauckholt and Teresa Youngblut—two suspects linked to the January 20 shootout near the U.S.-Canada border that left Border Patrol Agent David Maland dead.
Chapel Hill Residents Recall Unsettling Encounters
Neighbors say Bauckholt and Youngblut had rented units in the neighborhood for months, with Bauckholt moving in as early as July 2023 and Youngblut joining in November 2024, according to the units’ landlord.
Local resident Paul Lascara, who lived next door to one of the searched properties, described the raid as shocking.
“I looked out my window and saw agents in paramilitary gear, multiple trucks, and I knew something serious was happening,” Lascara said.
Lascara and other neighbors recalled seeing Bauckholt and Youngblut frequently dressed in all black, including trench coats, and keeping to themselves.
“They definitely stood out,” one neighbor said. “I remember seeing them walking around, sometimes with other people, and there was even a box truck that sat in a cul-de-sac for a long time.”
From Chapel Hill to a Deadly Shootout in Vermont
According to court documents, Bauckholt and Youngblut were pulled over in Coventry, Vermont, on January 20 while driving a blue 2015 Prius with North Carolina plates. During the stop, Youngblut allegedly pulled out a gun and fired at Border Patrol agents, hitting Maland. Bauckholt also attempted to draw a weapon before agents returned fire, killing him.
Death certificates confirm that Maland died from a gunshot wound to the neck, while Bauckholt was fatally shot in the chest. Youngblut was taken into custody and faces federal firearms charges, though she has not been formally charged with Maland’s death.
Ongoing Federal Investigation
Last week, FBI agents spent hours searching the Chapel Hill residences, seizing evidence related to their investigation. However, officials remain tight-lipped about the specifics of their findings.
Chatham County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Randall Rigsbee confirmed their department assisted in the raid but deferred further details to the FBI.
“We assisted the FBI, but it’s really their operation,” Rigsbee said.
Similarly, FBI Charlotte spokesperson Shelley Lynch provided only a brief statement, saying agents had “conducted court-authorized investigative activity” in connection with an ongoing federal case.
Authorities have not confirmed when Bauckholt and Youngblut left their Chapel Hill residences, but by mid-January, law enforcement had them under surveillance in Vermont.
Lingering Questions
Despite the arrests and charges, key questions remain unanswered, particularly regarding the fatal shot that killed Maland.
- Who fired the lethal bullet—Youngblut or another Border Patrol agent?
- What were Bauckholt and Youngblut doing in Chapel Hill, and were they planning further criminal activity?
- Who were the other individuals seen with them?
For now, the FBI has declined to provide further details, citing an ongoing federal investigation.
“FBI investigations are thorough and meticulous, and updates take time,” an agency spokesperson stated.
A Growing National Connection
Investigators have since linked Bauckholt and Youngblut to multiple other individuals, some of whom are connected to killings in California and Pennsylvania.
As law enforcement continues to unravel the larger network behind the Chapel Hill-Vermont connection, residents remain unsettled by the realization that a quiet North Carolina neighborhood briefly housed suspects in a deadly border shootout.