A supporter of President Donald Trump was arrested after federal authorities identified him as the man who allegedly invaded the U.S. Capitol with protesters while carrying a handful of zip-ties – as captured by viral photos circulating online.
Eric Gavelek Munchel, 30, of Tennessee, was arrested in his state on Sunday and charged with “an accusation of intentionally entering or staying in any restricted building or land without legal authority and an accusation of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol Hill,” Department of Justice (DOJ) said in a statement.
Authorities claimed that Munchel was inside the Capitol building during the mob attack last Wednesday.
“Photos that depict his presence show a person who appears to be Munchel carrying plastic restraints, an item in a holster on his right hip and a cell phone mounted on his chest with the camera facing outward, apparently to record the events of that day” Said DOJ.
Win McNamee / Getty
Getty photos Images of the suspect circulated on social media after the attack, raising concern that protesters may have planned to take lawmakers hostage. Authorities have not yet released any information about where the suspect obtained the zip-ties or what he planned to do with them.
Before his arrest, citizens used online materials to identify Munchel as the rowdy carrying rowdy, with some sharing screenshots of his Facebook page on social media. The Facebook page has already been deleted.
Other users found images showing the suspect marching in Washington DC protests on Wednesday, as well as similar pro-Trump protests in Nashville.
According to NewsChannel 5, Munchel was arrested in Nashville Prison at 2:50 pm local time.
Larry Rendell Brock of Texas was also arrested on Sunday in connection with the attack on the House of Congress. Brock was identified as one of the individuals who allegedly broke into the building while Congress was meeting to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 elections.
Brock “illegally entered the United States Capitol wearing a green helmet, green tactical vest with patches, black and camouflage jacket and beige pants with a flexible white fist, which is used by authorities to restrict and / or arrest subjects,” according to the authorities .
Both cases will be prosecuted by the District Attorney of the District of Columbia and the Counter-Terrorism Section of the DOJ’s National Security Division. They will be assisted by the US Attorney General’s Offices for the Northern District of Texas and the Middle District of Tennessee.
Newsweek contacted the White House for comment. This story will be updated with any answer.