Jan. 6 rioter with gas mask, accused of breaching Capitol entrance arrested by FBI
An Indiana man who was seen wearing a gas mask on top of his head during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot was arrested and charged with felony civil disorder on Friday.
Gregory Mijares, 41, was one of the first rioters to pursue police officers into the lower west terrace tunnel of the Capitol during the insurrection — where some of the worst violence of the day would ultimately occur.
Mijares and several rioters followed police as they retreated into the tunnel, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
After rioters smashed through the glass panes of a door that police had locked behind them, Mijares pulled open the broken doors, as well as a second set of doors, to allow the mob to continue forward, according to the release.
The 41-year-old from Crown Point, Ind., also participated in two separate “heave ho” efforts against the police line in the tunnel.
In addition to the felony civil disorder charge, Mijares faces misdemeanor charges for entering a restricted area and engaging in disorderly and disruptive conduct, court documents show.
The FBI initially received a tip identifying Mijares in October 2021. However, he was not interviewed until March 2023, during which he identified himself in several photos and showed investigators photos he had taken of himself at the Capitol that day.
Mijares also admitted to entering Capitol grounds and engaging in altercations with police both inside and outside of the tunnel, according to court documents.