HOUSTON — On this day last year, the unbelievable was happening at our nation’s Capitol.
Among those in the angry crowd were people from all over the nation, including more than 700 people who would later be arrested, including some from the Houston area.
That includes:
- Benjamin Larocca
- Christian Cortez
- Andrew Taake
- Shane Jenkins
- Tam Dinh Pham, former HPD officer
- Darrell Alan Youngers
- Anthime Joseph Gionet
- Adam Weibling
- Wilmar Alvarado
Texas has been one of the states with the highest number of alleged Capitol rioters.
“Texas is the largest red state in the county, so just from the population perspective, we’re going to have a lot of people,” said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University. “There are also a lot of die-hard Trump supporters here in Texas. And a lot of them have the economic resources that allow them to travel to Washington D.C. and participate in the insurrection.”
And perhaps the Texan who made the most headlines after the riot was the North Texas Realtor, Jenna Ryan, who took a private jet to Washington to be there that day. She’s currently serving a 60-day sentence.
It was a frightening day in our nation’s history, but could it be repeated?
“Law enforcement, I think, learned from January 6 and I think was seen in the port-mortem of it over the last year is that there were many opportunities to quell the violence, and due to a lack of coordination, a lack of information and a lack of political will, it just never occurred,” said.
In the meantime, the Justice Department and the House of Representatives January 6 committee continue to investigate what happened on that dark day one year ago today.
What is each Houston-area resident charged with?
- Benjamin Larocca — Obstruction of an Official Proceeding; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Christian Cortez — Obstruction of an Official Proceeding; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Parading, Demonstrating, or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Andrew Taake — Obstruction of an Official Proceeding; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers; Obstruction of Law Enforcement During Civil Disorder; Entering or Remaining, Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct, and Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building, Impeding Passage Through and Act of Physical Violence on Capitol Grounds or Buildings; Parading, Demonstrating or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Shane Jenkins — Civil Disorder; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers Using a Dangerous Weapon; Theft of Government Property; Destruction of Government Property; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Engaging in Physical Violence in a Restricted Building or Grounds with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon; Disorderly Conduct in the Capitol Grounds or Building; Act of Physical Violence in the Capitol Grounds or Buildings
- Tam Dinh Pham, former HPD officer — Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building or Grounds Without Lawful Authority; Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds
- Darrell Alan Youngers — Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building or Grounds Without Lawful Authority; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Parading, Demonstrating or Picketing in a Capitol Building
- Anthime Joseph Gionet — Knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
- Adam Weibling — Knowingly Entering or Remaining in any Restricted Building or Grounds Without Lawful Authority; Violent Entry and Disorderly Conduct on Capitol Grounds
- Wilmar Alvarado — Civil Disorder; Obstruction of an Official Proceeding; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers; Entering and Remaining in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly and Disruptive Conduct in a Restricted Building or Grounds; Disorderly Conduct in a Capitol Building; Impeding Passage Through the Capitol Grounds or Buildings
Click here to see the case status of each defendant.