A Huntington Beach remodeling firm owner has been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot after he texted a selfie of himself at the insurrection to members of his church group, federal officials said.
A member of Glenn Allen Brooks’ prayer group tipped federal authorities on Jan. 30. after he shared a picture he took of himself standing in a hallway amidst a crowd that had forced its way into the Capitol, according to a sworn statement from an FBI agent.
Brooks is seen with a white beard and red jacket in the photo, and is wearing a beanie decorated with an American flag and “TRUMP.”
He entered the Senate side of the Capitol by climbing through a broken window, the FBI statement said. Once inside he was recorded holding a cell phone while taking photos.
Brooks was accused of unlawful entry and disorderly conduct on restricted grounds in a criminal complaint filed Tuesday, July 27. He was arrested two days later, and made his first court appearance Thursday afternoon at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles.
Investigators compared photos of Brooks to images captured during the riot and confirmed that they were the same person, according to court documents. FBI agents conducting surveillance on March 24 watched him exit a truck associated with the remodeling business Brooks Works, and observed that he had the same beard as the man in the selfie.
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Neither Brooks nor the federal public defender assigned to represent him could immediately be reached for comment.
Brooks is the second person from Huntington Beach charged in connection with the chaos that unfolded at the Capitol in January. Mark Simon, a vocal conservative figure described as a “known activist” by police, was arrested later that month after recounting his firsthand experience of the event.
Over two dozen of the 599 people charged in connection with the Capitol riot as of Sunday are from California. Some, like an Irvine man who donned a tactical vest and helmet bearing the word “PRESS,” face charges similar to those filed against Brooks. Others stand accused of more serious allegations.
Kevin Gelatto was arrested in April on suspicion of assaulting officers during the insurrection, and was seen in surveillance footage attempting to push past a line of police.
Former La Habra police chief Alan Hostetter was charged in June with conspiracy for his alleged role in the riot. He is accused of coordinating with five others who planned to storm the Capitol.
Source: Orange County Register
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