Man accused of heinous crime bizarrely claims Katy Perry 'told him' to do it through psychic link

An army veteran has been accused of a serious assault and argued that celebrity Katy Perry ‘told him’ to do it through their psychic connection.

Russell Maxwell Phay faces felony charges of attempted murder, burglary, kidnapping and assault for allegedly beating up 60-year-old Linda Malek-Aslanian.

The 43-year-old Phay is accused of breaking into the home of Beanie Babies founder Ty Warner's California mansion on May 21, 2025, before beating Malek-Aslanian who was inside the property.

According to detective Matthew Maxwell, Warner was reportedly in the property at the time of the break in and heard ‘blood curdling scream’ coming from another room.

He then rushed to investigate only to be chased through the house by Phay before making it to his garage and fleeing to the local Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore where he asked staff to

call 911.

Phay faces a slew of serious charges (Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office)

When police responded, they found Phay locked inside a second story bathroom before he tried to escape outside of a window.

He was apprehended by police, K9 units and taken into custody.

Maxwell, who spoke at a preliminary hearing earlier this month said that upon his arrest, Phay claimed that he was married to celebrity Katy Perry and that he had a ‘head link’ with her.

He also said that he believed Perry told him to go to the home, believing it was hers, and did not expect anyone else to be at the property.

To make matters even more bizarre, he said when he saw Malek-Aslanian inside the property, he believed her to be Perry’s mother who had been molesting her.

The attack was also caught on camera inside the home and saw the 60 year-old almost beaten to death, with Phay accused of stomping on her and kicking her repeatedly.

The video also allegedly shows him dragging her outside and dumping her into a pond.

According to a report by the Santa Barbara Independent, Phay’s family have described him as a once-loving and kind person whose schizophrenia left him erratic and unrecognizable. They also claim they have previously attempted to warn officials that he was dangerous.

A detective said that Phay told authorities he believed he was going into Perry's home(Dave Benett/Getty Images for Experience Abu Dhabi)

Upon his arrest, authorities also learned that Phay had assaulted a woman only a few days before, according to the report.

Maxwell testified that Phay violently assaulted Elaine Jensen, after walking onto the Arroyo Quemado property to drink from a garden hose. When he was asked to stop, he attacked her for ‘infringing on his basic right to water’ Maxwell claimed.

A Marborg driver on his pick-up route found Jensen unconscious in her front yard and called police.