Man who participated in Capitol riots arrested with weapons near Former President Barack Obama’s home
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A Donald Trump supporter who stormed the United States Capitol during the infamous Jan. 6 riots in 2021 has been arrested. This time, near Former President Barack Obama’s home in Washington, D.C. Authorities say the suspect was in possession of firearms and weapons.
According to NBC News, Taylor Taranto, 37, claimed he had been living in a van near a Washington jailhouse for weeks. Although his online presence heavily depicts his extreme views, he has not been arrested for his role in the Capitol riots — despite uploading footage of himself aiding in chaos on YouTube. While the incident is still under investigation, yesterday (June 29), Taranto was arrested in Obama’s neighborhood after making suspicious social media posts and occupying weapons.
A Truth Social account with the same username as Taranto’s other social media handles “re-posted a Trump post that included what is alleged to be the address of Obama’s home in Washington,” NBC News revealed. CNN added that the person behind the account also did a livestream claiming he had a detonator. Taranto’s arrest yesterday was because he had an open warrant from the Capitol riots. He was charged with being a fugitive from justice. “Arresting officers requested the Metropolitan Police Department’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team to perform a vehicle sweep of the individual’s van near the location of the arrest. There is no active threat to the community, and this incident remains under investigation,” a statement from the department read.
Authorities say they discovered firearms and materials to make Molotov cocktails in Taranto’s van. Jason Bell, acting assistant chief for protective and intelligence operations, said the United States Capitol Police “assisted in the investigation due to a concern for public safety and the potential for violence against Members of Congress.” Reps for Obama have not shared a statement.
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