Crown Point Man Arrested on Charges Related to Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach
“Defendant Involved in Lower West Terrace Tunnel Riots”
WASHINGTON – An Indiana man has been arrested on felony and misdemeanor charges related to his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.
Gregory Mijares, 41, of Crown Point, Indiana, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with a felony offense of civil disorder. Mijares is also charged with misdemeanor offenses of entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds and disorderly and disruptive conduct in any restricted building or grounds.
Mijares was arrested Friday in Crown Point, Indiana, and made his initial appearance in the Northern District of Indiana.
According to court documents, Mijares traveled to Washington, D.C., to protest the election and attend a rally held that day in support of the former President on Jan. 6, 2021. Following the rally, Mijares began walking with the crowd toward the U.S. Capitol and entered the grounds, wearing a gas mask. Mijares eventually made his way to the Lower West Terrace as he pursued retreating police officers. As officers attempted to fall back into the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, Mijares stood in their path and raised a flag over his head. Officers then attempted to remove Mijares from their path, and a physical altercation ensued between officers and Mijares.
Capitol CCTV shows that Mijares was one of the first rioters to pursue police into the Tunnel, entering the archway at approximately 2:41 p.m. Body-worn camera footage and open-source video show Mijares as he approached a set of glass doors that police previously locked behind them as they moved further into the Tunnel. Moments later, rioters smashed one of the panes of glass in the doors. Mijares then held up his middle finger at officers before pulling open the now-broken door for others to push forward. Mijares then approached a second set of Tunnel doors just behind the first and pulled one open for his fellow rioters. Officers attempted to push Mijares back using a riot shield, and he responded by taking a step back and slamming his body into the shield.
Other rioters then swarmed Mijares at the police line and began physically fighting officers as Mijares continued pushing against the riot shield. At some point, an officer struck Mijares with a baton while he was facing the shield wall. Mijares attempted to block the baton by raising his arms up in front of his head, eventually grabbing the baton.
Mijares remained at the front of the line, pushing against police, until approximately 2:45 p.m. At approximately 2:52 p.m., Mijares exited the Tunnel only to reenter at about 3:11 p.m. Mijares then joined other rioters in a coordinated pushing “heave ho” effort against the police line for approximately several minutes.
Between about 3:12 p.m. and 3:13 p.m., Mijares assisted other rioters in coordinating the passing of riot shields that had been taken from the police. Mijares then pushed further toward the front of the mob and engaged in another “heave ho” effort against the police line. After participating in this “heave ho,” Mijares made his way back to the Tunnel entranceway, where he exited at approximately 3:19 p.m.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana. This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Indianapolis and Washington Field Offices. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department.
In the 32 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,146 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 398 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.
