Authorities say a California man seen wearing American flag pants and allegedly smoking marijuana during the US Capitol riot was arrested in Virginia
SUFFOLK, Virginia – A California man seen wearing American flag pants and allegedly smoking marijuana during the US Capitol riot was arrested in Virginia, officials said.
Eduardo Nicolas Alvear Gonzalez, of Ventura, California, has a remote hearing scheduled for Friday at the United States District Court in Norfolk. He was arrested on Tuesday and accused of intentionally entering or staying in a restricted building or land without legal authority, and of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, media reports said.
Gonzalez, who is identified in court documents as the man with the joints in several videos, was arrested by the FBI in an apartment in Virginia Beach, officials said.
According to a criminal complaint, Gonzalez is seen on camera lighting a joint and shouting, “It’s time to smoke marijuana here” while he was inside the Capitol roundabout during the January 6 uprising.
In another video entitled “The Capitol Rotunda Doobie Smoker explains why he did this”, Gonzalez was asked why he was smoking marijuana on Capitol, to which he responded in part, “freedom,” said the complaint.
Later, Gonzalez broadcast a video of Zoom live, where he discussed going to the Capitol to “take our country back”, the complaint said.
Several witnesses identified Gonzalez, including a family member, the FBI said. It is not clear why Gonzalez was in Virginia Beach.
The 32-year-old was detained at the Western Tidewater Regional Prison in Suffolk. It is not clear whether he had a lawyer who could comment on his behalf.