A former army serviceman has been charged with a violent attack, claiming that pop star Katy Perry ‘instructed’ him to commit the act through a psychic connection.
Russel Maxwell Phay is facing serious charges including attempted murder, burglary, kidnapping, and assault for the alleged assault of 60-year-old Linda Malek-Aslanian.
Phay, aged 43, is accused of breaking into the California mansion of Beanie Babies founder Ty Warner on May 21, 2025, and assaulting Malek-Aslanian who was present inside the residence.
Detective Matthew Maxwell reported that Warner was inside the property during the intrusion and heard a ‘blood-curdling scream’ emanating from another room.
Warner then ran to check the situation, only to be pursued by Phay through the mansion. Warner managed to escape to his garage and fled to the nearby Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore, where he requested staff to contact 911.
Upon arrival, law enforcement discovered Phay barricaded in a second-story bathroom, attempting to flee through a window.
He was eventually captured by police and K9 units and subsequently taken into custody.
During a preliminary hearing earlier this month, Maxwell revealed that Phay claimed he was married to Katy Perry and had a ‘head link’ with her.
Phay stated he believed Perry directed him to the house, thinking it was hers, and did not expect anyone else to be present.
Phay further asserted that upon encountering Malek-Aslanian, he thought she was Perry’s mother, who had allegedly been harming her.
The incident, captured on surveillance, shows the brutal attack on the 60-year-old, with Phay accused of stomping and repeatedly kicking her.
The footage allegedly depicts him dragging her outside and dumping her into a pond.
The Santa Barbara Independent reports that Phay’s family describes him as a formerly kind individual, whose schizophrenia has rendered him unstable. They claim they had previously alerted authorities about his potential danger.
Authorities also discovered that Phay had attacked another woman just days earlier, according to the report.
Maxwell testified that Phay assaulted Elaine Jensen after entering the Arroyo Quemado property to drink from a garden hose. When asked to stop, he attacked her, claiming it violated his ‘basic right to water’, Maxwell reported.
A Marborg driver, while on his route, found Jensen unconscious in her yard and notified the police.