Current:Home > FinanceTaylor Taranto, Jan. 6 defendant arrested with 2 guns and machete near Obama's D.C. home, to remain detained-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Taylor Taranto, Jan. 6 defendant arrested with 2 guns and machete near Obama's D.C. home, to remain detained
View Date:2024-12-24 07:29:22
Washington — Washington state native Taylor Taranto, arrested near former President Barack Obama's home Thursday with weapons and ammunition in his vehicle, will remain in jail pending a hearing next week, a magistrate judge in Washington, D.C., ruled Friday.
Taranto was taken into custody on Thursday as a fugitive from justice after U.S. Secret Service agents spotted him within blocks of Obama's residence, law enforcement officials briefed on the matter told CBS News. He was apprehended before entering a restricted security zone around the former president's home.
The 37-year-old Taranto currently faces four misdemeanor counts stemming from the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, including illegal entry into the Capitol building and disorderly conduct. Prosecutors said in court Friday that Taranto had previously attended vigils in support of detained Jan. 6 defendants outside the Washington, D.C., jail, but was no longer part of the group. An organizer of the protest told CBS News that Taranto was "asked to leave" earlier this month because of misconduct near the event.
Taranto was taken into custody on Thursday and in his nearby van, law enforcement subsequently recovered two guns, 400 rounds of ammunition, and a machete. No explosives were recovered, but multiple sources familiar with the investigation told CBS News potentially explosive chemicals were also found.
According to a senior law enforcement official, Taranto had been in Washington, D.C., area for a couple of months and was seen camping out in his van near the D.C. jail where many of the Jan. 6 defendants are being held.
Investigators allege in newly unsealed court documents that Taranto attended a rally near the Washington Monument on Jan. 6, 2021, and walked toward the Capitol, where he entered through a door that had been breached by rioters. He is accused of moving through the building and into the Speaker's lobby around the time Ashli Babbit was shot and killed, court papers reveal.
Prosecutors allege Taranto and an admitted member of the Jan. 6 mob, David Walls-Kaufman, "scuffled" with police in the aftermath of the shooting before they were forced out of the Capitol. Once outside, he allegedly remained on Capitol grounds and fought with another rioter, "using his cane to fend them off," according to charging documents.
Taranto and Kaufman are also named as codefendants in a civil lawsuit alleging the pair contributed to the death of former Washington, D.C. police officer Jeffrey Smith, who died by suicide days after he responded to the Capitol breach.
In response to the lawsuit, Taranto admitted he had entered the building but said he was a member of the media and had done nothing illegal. Investigators say in court papers they have no proof of his work in the media and say he was employed as an engineer.
Social media video recovered after the attack shows Taranto saying, "So we're in the Capitol…we just stormed it," investigators said. He later allegedly appeared on a live stream forum discussing the events of Jan. 6 and identified himself in video on-screen, court filings say.
In court on Friday, Taranto appeared wearing a t-shirt and shorts and spoke only briefly in response to questions from the court.
Prosecutors asked Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey, who appeared virtually, to detain the defendant pending a detention hearing and argued he is a flight risk because he has been living in his van since he moved to Washington, D.C.
The government said Friday that investigators have evidence Taranto previously live-streamed himself near a Maryland school in order to "send a shockwave" to the state's Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin.
Taranto's public defender told the judge that Taranto's wife — who still lives in Washington state — was willing to virtually address the court to attest that her husband would be able to live at home again to avoid detention. The defense also offered another alternative to detention — that Taranto could live with his in-laws in Connecticut.
Nevertheless, Harvey ruled that Taranto, a military veteran with no criminal record, would be detained pending his next hearing, scheduled for next week.
The judge added that he had "some concerns about [Taranto's] mental stability," a comment which also drew objections from the defense.
Harvey indicated additional charges could be brought, but reminded prosecutors that none of their recent allegations about Taranto's conduct are listed in the filed complaint.
"Right now, he's charged with offenses from years ago," the judge said to the government, "You'll be busy, I'm sure."
Taranto has not yet been arraigned.
- In:
- Barack Obama
veryGood! (75998)
Related
- Why was Jalen Ramsey traded? Dolphins CB facing former team on 'Monday Night Football'
- By 2050, 200 Million Climate Refugees May Have Fled Their Homes. But International Laws Offer Them Little Protection
- Biden’s Bet on Electric Vehicles Is Drawing Opposition from Republicans Who Fear Liberal Overreach
- Biden Is Losing His Base on Climate Change, a New Pew Poll Finds. Six in 10 Democrats Don’t Feel He’s Doing Enough
- She's a trans actress and 'a warrior.' Now, this 'Emilia Pérez' star could make history.
- Man dies in Death Valley as temperatures hit 121 degrees
- Inside a bank run
- Warming Trends: Why Walking Your Dog Can Be Bad for the Environment, Plus the Sexism of Climate Change and Taking Plants to the Office
- Army veteran reunites with his K9 companion, who served with him in Afghanistan
- Who are the Hunter Biden IRS whistleblowers? Joseph Ziegler, Gary Shapley testify at investigation hearings
Ranking
- As Northeast wildfires keep igniting, is there a drought-buster in sight?
- Jack Daniel's v. poop-themed dog toy in a trademark case at the Supreme Court
- The Best Waterproof Foundation to Combat Sweat and Humidity This Summer
- Stock market today: Global markets mixed after Chinese promise to support economy
- ‘Heretic’ and Hugh Grant debut with $11 million, but ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ tops box office again
- Texas Politicians Aim to Penalize Wind and Solar in Response to Outages. Are Renewables Now Strong Enough to Defend Themselves?
- Indigenous Women in Peru Seek to Turn the Tables on Big Oil, Asserting ‘Rights of Nature’ to Fight Epic Spills
- Inside Clean Energy: The Rooftop Solar Income Gap Is (Slowly) Shrinking
Recommendation
-
'Yellowstone' premiere: Record ratings, Rip's ride and Billy Klapper's tribute
-
Biden has big ideas for fixing child care. For now a small workaround will have to do
-
Am I crossing picket lines if I see a movie? and other Hollywood strike questions
-
Cardi B Calls Out Offset's Stupid Cheating Allegations
-
Gavin Rossdale Makes Rare Public Appearance With Girlfriend Xhoana Xheneti
-
Biden’s Infrastructure Bill Includes Money for Recycling, But the Debate Over Plastics Rages On
-
The International Criminal Court Turns 20 in Turbulent Times. Should ‘Ecocide’ Be Added to its List of Crimes?
-
Janet Yellen says the U.S. is ready to protect depositors at small banks if required