Facebook posts, video lead to arrest of Burleson man on charges in Jan. 6 Capitol riot
A Burleson man was arrested last week and charged with four offenses connected to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot after local and federal investigators found social media posts linking him to the insurrection prior to, during and after it occurred.
Jacob Garcia faces charges of 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 and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.
According to Garcia’s arrest warrant affidavit, the FBI was notified of Garcia’s involvement after Burleson police found Facebook comments where Garcia responded to a friend who asked what time he entered the Capitol.
“It was way after his speech finished,” Garcia responded in the comment section, referring to protesters entering the Capitol building during and after President Donald Trump’s speech. Investigators who continued to search through Garcia’s public Facebook profile found that he had shared a video “discussing the need to organize people who are ‘red-pilled’” on Dec. 21, 2020.
““Red pilled” referred to individuals who were introduced to new ideas that allowed them to understand the true nature of a particular situation,” the warrant said. “Garcia added the caption ‘Get ready DC’ to the video post.”
Investigators were able to track Garcia’s IP address locations to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021. The following day, Garcia wrote multiple statements on his social media profile, including: “IT’S ALL UNFOLDING” and “MY ONLY REGRET IS NOT GETTING SOME SOUVENIRS…GOT A DUDE ON FILM SHOWING HE STOLE A FRAMED PICTURE OF PELOSI.”
Aside from social media postings, the FBI obtained video footage, from Facebook, and inside the Capitol building, that reportedly showed Garcia climbing the building’s exterior walls and entering the Capitol. Garcia’s arrest warrant said that he was inside the government building for nearly an hour and a half.
The FBI also interviewed Garcia’s friends and family.
The warrant said last October a Facebook and childhood friend identified images of Garcia inside the Capitol.
“[Garcia’s friend] stated Garcia posted a video on his Facebook from the inside of the U.S. Capitol,” the warrant said. “[His friend] also stated that Garcia’s recent subscription to Q’Anon ideology and intrigue of conspiracy theories changed his behavior.”
This story was originally published March 24, 2022 at 9:25 AM.
