The Phoenix man who carried a spear and wore a fur hat topped with buffalo horns during the rush on the U.S. Capitol this week was been arrested, the Justice Department says.
Jake Angeli, whose real name is Jacob Anthony Chansley, was easy to spot among the surge of Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol building Wednesday following a rally lead by President Trump.
A fixture in Phoenix protests, Angeli typically carried a sign referencing QAnon, the wide-ranging conspiracy theory that at its core is a belief that a government official with top-secret clearance shares clues about secret investigations being conducted by Trump.
He was listed among several people the Metropolitan Police of Washington D.C. said it wanted the public’s help in finding. He's been arrested on suspicion of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, according to a Justice Department news release.
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He was taken into custody Saturday, according to the Justice Department.
He was among three men the department said had been charged on Saturday in federal court in connection with the riots.
"It is alleged that Chansley was identified as the man seen in media coverage who entered the Capitol building dressed in horns, a bearskin headdress, red, white and blue face paint, shirtless, and tan pants. This individual carried a spear, approximately 6 feet in length, with an American flag tied just below the blade," the Justice Department said in announcing his arrest.
The Arizona Republic reported Saturday that though he identified himself publicly as Angeli, court records show he petitioned to have his name legally changed to Jacob Anthony Angeli Chansley in 2005. In the court petition, he wrote, “I want my last name to be that of my step-father, my dad. I was not legally adopted by my step-father while a minor.” He said Angeli was his mother’s last name, the Republic reported.
On Thursday, Angeli told NBC News that he felt the day the Capitol was stormed as a political success. “The fact that we had a bunch of our traitors in office hunker down, put on their gas masks and retreat into their underground bunker," he told the network. "I consider that a win."
Also arrested Saturday was Adam Johnson, 36, of Florida. He was charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; one count of theft of government property; and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
"It is alleged that on Jan. 6, 2021, Johnson illegally entered the United States Capitol and removed the Speaker of the House’s lectern from where it had been stored on the House side of the Capitol building. A search of open sources led law enforcement to Johnson, who is allegedly seen in a widely circulated photo inside the Capitol carrying the lectern."
The third arrest was Derrick Evans, 35, a recently elected member of the West Virginia House of Delegates of West Virginia. He was charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; and one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Grounds. Evans was taken into custody Friday.
"It is alleged that on Jan. 6, 2021, Evans, a recently elected member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, streamed live to his Facebook page a video of himself joining and encouraging a crowd unlawfully entering the U.S. Capitol. In the video, Evans is allegedly seen crossing the threshold of the doorway into the U.S. Capitol and shouting, “We’re in, we’re in! Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!”
The FBI continues to search for individuals who may have incited or promoted violence of any kind. Anyone with digital material or tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or submit images or videos at fbi.gov/USCapitol.
