Leader of cultlike Zizian group held without bail

A Maryland county judge denied bail for leader Jack LaSota and two other members of the cultlike group at a Tuesday hearing following their arrest on Sunday. The Zizian group has been linked to six killings in three states, including the shooting of a Border Patrol agent in Vermont last month. LaSota, a 34-year-old computer scientist also known as Ziz, appeared remotely at the Allegany District Court in Cumberland, Md., for the hearing—along with fellow group members Michelle Zajko and Daniel Blank. LaSota is a man who self-identifies as a woman and who has used female pronouns. 

What charges do they face? The trio’s current charges include trespassing, obstructing and hindering a homicide investigation, and possession of a handgun in a vehicle, according to local news. Police are also investigating them for a series of cross-country crimes.

What did LaSota say about the charges? In his remote appearance on Tuesday, LaSota said he had done nothing wrong, according to a reporter who attended the hearing. LaSota and his attorney previously have declined to comment about the charges to the Associated Press. Suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.