WASHINGTON (AP) — A person armed with explosive supplies and weapons, and wished for crimes associated to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on the U.S. Capitol, was arrested Thursday within the Washington neighborhood the place former President Barack Obama lives, regulation enforcement officers mentioned.
Taylor Taranto, 37, was noticed by regulation enforcement a number of blocks from the previous president’s house and fled, although he was chased by U.S. Secret Service brokers. Taranto has an open warrant on fees associated to the riot, two regulation enforcement officers mentioned. The officers weren’t approved to talk publicly about an ongoing case and spoke to The Related Press on situation of anonymity.
They mentioned Taranto additionally had made social media threats in opposition to a public determine. He was discovered with weapons and supplies to create an explosive system, although one had not been constructed, one of many officers mentioned.
Nobody was injured. It was not clear whether or not the Obamas had been at their house on the time of his arrest.
Metropolitan Police arrested Taranto on fees of being a fugitive from justice. The explosives crew swept Taranto’s van and mentioned there have been no threats to the general public.
Taranto was a U.S. Navy veteran and a webmaster for the Republican Get together in Franklin County, in Washington state, in line with the Tri-Metropolis Herald newspaper. He advised the newspaper in an interview final yr that he was volunteering for the Republican Get together.
It wasn’t clear what, precisely, Taranto is accused of doing within the riot, the place supporters of then-President Donald Trump smashed home windows of the Capitol and beat and bloodied law enforcement officials in an effort to overturn the outcomes of the 2020 presidential election.
Greater than 1,000 folks have been charged with federal crimes associated to the Capitol riot. Over 600 of them have pleaded responsible, whereas roughly 100 others have been convicted after trials determined by judges or juries. Greater than 550 riot defendants have been sentenced, with over half receiving phrases of imprisonment starting from six days to 18 years.
