Federal authorities in the U.S. Attorney’s office for Washington, D.C., have announced a new criminal case against Las Vegas man Mario Gonzalez for alleged participation in the Capitol riot of January 6, 2021, that was spurred by lies tracing to Donald Trump about the integrity of the then-recent presidential election.
Gonzalez is accused of filming himself joining the violence that took place that day. “As the rioters succeeded in pushing the police line back and up the stairs, Gonzalez filmed the altercation with police and took selfie-style recordings of himself using his cell phone,” that prosecutor’s office alleged.
The press release from the Justice Department also alleges that Gonzalez sprayed a fire extinguisher towards police while outside the Capitol building, saying he subsequently fell back into the nearby crowd after officers then utilized a chemical agent meant for riot control. His specific charges include both felonies and misdemeanors, adding Gonzalez to the list of individuals facing serious consequences after allegedly filming themselves or otherwise documenting specific details of their apparent involvement in the deadly, democracy-threatening violence.
He’s accused of obstructing police during civil disorder and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers. The misdemeanor charges include allegations of trespassing and disorderly conduct. Gonzalez’s arrest came on January 8, 2024 — more than three years after the overall violence was originally perpetrated.
Other recent developments amid Capitol riot cases include the capture in Florida of three accused participants who’d been evading authorities, including one individual — named Jonathan Pollock — skirting the law since 2021. A sister of his and an individual who’s apparently worked for a business run by the family were the other two. Jonathan Pollock was accused by authorities of serious assaults on police. Among other encounters, he allegedly used a riot shield originating with police against a targeted officer’s “throat and face,” per an earlier press release, striking them in that area. He was also accused of pulling an officer down a series of stairs, alongside other attacks. Initial revelations from the FBI didn’t explain how the three were found at a ranch in Groveland, Florida.
