Washington — Taylor Taranto, a native of Washington state, was arrested near former President Barack Obama’s home on Thursday with weapons and ammunition in his vehicle. A magistrate judge in Washington, D.C. ruled on Friday that Taranto will remain in jail until a hearing next week.
Taranto was apprehended by U.S. Secret Service agents after they spotted him within blocks of Obama’s residence. He was arrested before entering the restricted security zone around the former president’s home.
Taranto, who is 37 years old, currently faces four misdemeanor counts related to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. These include illegal entry into the Capitol building and disorderly conduct. Prosecutors stated in court on Friday that Taranto had previously attended vigils in support of detained Jan. 6 defendants but was no longer associated with the group. An organizer of the protest confirmed that Taranto had been asked to leave due to misconduct near the event.
Taranto was taken into custody on Thursday and authorities subsequently found two guns, 400 rounds of ammunition, and a machete in his nearby van. While no explosives were recovered, potentially explosive chemicals were reportedly discovered during the investigation.
According to a senior law enforcement official, Taranto had been in the Washington, D.C. area for a couple of months and had been seen camping out in his van near the D.C. jail where many of the Jan. 6 defendants are being held.
Newly unsealed court documents allege that Taranto attended a rally near the Washington Monument on Jan. 6, 2021, and entered the Capitol building through a breached door. He is accused of moving through the building and being present in the Speaker’s lobby at the time of Ashli Babbit’s fatal shooting.
Prosecutors claim that Taranto and another individual scuffled with police after the shooting before being forced out of the Capitol. Once outside, Taranto allegedly remained on Capitol grounds and engaged in a physical altercation with another rioter. Taranto also faces a civil lawsuit, along with his codefendant David Walls-Kaufman, alleging their involvement in the death of former Washington, D.C. police officer Jeffrey Smith, who died by suicide days after responding to the Capitol breach.
In response to the lawsuit, Taranto stated that he had entered the building as a member of the media and had not committed any illegal acts. However, investigators have found no proof of his work in the media and state that he was employed as an engineer. Social media video recovered after the attack shows Taranto admitting to storming the Capitol. He also appeared in a live stream discussing the events of Jan. 6 and identified himself on-screen.
Taranto appeared in court on Friday wearing a t-shirt and shorts, and only briefly responded to questions. Prosecutors argued that he should be detained because he is a flight risk, having lived in his van since moving to Washington, D.C. They also presented evidence that Taranto previously live-streamed himself near a Maryland school to send a message to a Democratic Congressman.
Taranto’s public defender proposed two alternatives to detention: Taranto’s wife testifying virtually to assure the court that he can live at home without incident, or Taranto living with his in-laws in Connecticut. However, the judge ruled that Taranto, a military veteran with no previous criminal record, will remain in custody until his next hearing.
The judge expressed concerns about Taranto’s mental stability, but also pointed out that the prosecution’s recent allegations are not included in the filed complaint. He suggested that the government would likely bring further charges.
Taranto has not yet been arraigned.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
