'Batman hat,' cellphone help link Central Falls man to Jan. 6 Capitol breach

A Central Falls man was arrested by FBI agents Thursday on charges that he broke into the U.S. Capitol building Jan. 6, part of a mob that disrupted certification of the Nov. 3 presidential election.

Juan J. Rodriguez was discovered by Capitol Police inside a Senate staff office room with two other men, one wearing a helmet and the other wearing a "Make America Great Again" baseball cap, according to an FBI affidavit. Rodriguez was identified in part by the black-and-yellow Batman ski hat he'd been wearing, according to an affidavit by Special Agent David George.

Rodriguez is the fourth Rhode Island resident charged in the attack on the Capitol.

More: North Kingstown man sentenced for participation in Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol

Rodriguez confirmed to investigators, in a Sept. 7, 2022, interview, that he'd been in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021 to attend a rally for former President Donald Trump, and acknowledged walking to the Capitol, but denied entering the building, George wrote in the affidavit.

"He identified himself in a photo from January 6, wearing the yellow Batman hat," George wrote.

What is he charged with?

Rodriguez was charged with entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a capitol building or grounds, and parading demonstrating or picketing in a capitol building, according to the arrest warrant.

Another man found in the office, Alexander Fan, of Houston, Texas, was also arrested Thursday, the FBI said. The third man, the one wearing the helmet, hasn't been identified.

The FBI affidavit included several images from inside and at the Capitol building of a man they identify as Rodriguez.

What happened to Rodriguez on Jan. 6?

According to the affidavit, the three men were found in the office at about 4 p.m. after Capitol police officers heard voices coming from inside Office S202. The door was locked, and the people inside initially wouldn't open it, despite repeated requests from the officers, according to the affidavit.

The men apparently got into the office through a window broken earlier by another man. "The previously-shattered glass was no longer in the window; the panes were empty; and glass littered the floor of Office S202," George wrote.

Capitol police officers escorted the men outside the building, but "minutes later, Rodriguez was back, standing on the ledge outside the same window" and asking for the cellphone he'd left charging inside, the affidavit said.

The officers returned the cellphone. Later, using a search warrant, investigators were able to get records showing that Rodriguez's phone had been at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, the FBI said.

What's next for Rodrriguez?

Arrested without incident, Rodriguez made an initial appearance in U.S. District Court, Providence, Thursday and was released on $10,000 unsecured bond under pretrial supervision. U.S. Magistrate Lincoln D. Almond found that he can't afford his own attorney and ordered the public defender's office to represent him.

Rodriguez didn't immediately return a call to his cellphone.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Central Falls man arrested, accused of breaking into Capitol Jan. 6