Not Wanted Anymore: Cult Members Arrested
Jack Amadeus “Ziz” LaSota, the leader of an apparent “death cult” known as the Zizians that has been linked to at least four murders spanning from Vermont to Southern California, is now in custody after being arrested by Maryland State Troopers. Michelle Zajko was arrested along with LaSota, as was another member of the group, Daniel Blank. The arrests were first reported by the Baltimore Banner.
All three are “under investigation” in connection with the double homicide of Zajko’s parents in Pennsylvania. Zajko is also under investigation in connection with the murder of Border Patrol Agent and 9/11 Survivor David Maland. LaSota is also under investigation in the murder of a landlord on the west coast, Curtis Lind.
Some have drawn comparisons between the group and the Manson family. You can read the full story by following the link below, which we’ve updated with additional information.
The trio were arrested after allegedly trespassing on private property in Frostburg, Maryland after a local resident called the Maryland State police to report two white box trucks with chains on their tires were trespassing on his property.
Maryland State Trooper Brandon Jeffries responded to the call and observed Blank in the passenger seat of one of the box trucks. When he ordered Blank to show him his hands, Blank responded by claiming “that he had a learning disability and did not understand what I was saying,” Jeffries wrote in his charging affidavit.
In the other truck, Jefferies found Zajko and LaSota dressed in black, wearing “gun belts” and carrying ammunition. Jeffries wrote that he also observed a rifle in the truck, as well as a handgun on the floor where LaSota was sitting.
When Jeffries told Zajko and LaSota to exit the truck, “they were saying they were being told to (sic) many commands and were not cooperating.”
According to Jeffries, Zajko eventually had to be “taken down to the ground by controlled takedown,” after which another handgun was found in Zajko’s waistband.
LaSota, 33, is being held on charges of trespassing on private property, obstruction and having a handgun in his vehicle. Under Pennsylvania law, even someone with a license to carry a firearm can not carry a loaded long gun in a vehicle.
Zajko, 32, is being held on charges of trespassing, obstruction, resisting or interfering with an arrest, and having a handgun on his person, which requires a permit in Pennsylvania. Daniel Blank, 26, is being held charges of trespassing and obstruction.
Blank, LaSota and Zajko reportedly refused to identify themselves and had to be identified through photos from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). VT Digger reported that they continued to be uncooperative after their arrests.
Elena Russo, a spokesperson for the Maryland State Police, said in a press release that the police were actively “working in coordination with our federal law enforcement partners and the Office of the State’s Attorney in Allegany County as this investigation continues.” The FBI made a similar statement to the press.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Suri Dao (charged along with Alexander Jeffrey Leatham in the murder of landlord Curtis Lind) has allegedly been in contact with LaSota while incarcerated. LaSota reportedly encouraged Dao to escape from jail, after which Dao attempted to do so.
The Chronicle also reported that following mental health hearings conducted in 2023, which included testimony from doctors, Dao appears to have been transferred to a state hospital, and no longer appears in the Solano County inmate roster.