A California man was arrested on Thursday for participating in the January 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol following a tip from a member of his church prayer text group, according to records from the U.S. Department of Justice.
According to the criminal complaint, Glenn Allen Brooks of Huntington Beach, California, allegedly "boasted of his active participation" in the riots and "sent photos of his attendance at the Capitol to the church text group." This information was provided to the FBI by an unidentified witness who the complaint said was member of the same church prayer text group as Brooks.
The photo reportedly included "other people at the riots/protest and a selfie photo of himself inside the Capitol."
The complaint said Brooks texted the photograph to the church prayer group on January 6. A member of that group then sent a tip to the FBI "on or about January 30" about Brooks' alleged participation in the Capitol riots.
The report said the witness agreed to a follow-up interview in February with federal agents, at which time the person gave authorities Brooks' address, phone number and email address. The FBI then surveilled the suspect's home more than a month later, during which time a special agent took a photo of Brooks exiting a vehicle.
The photo provided by the witness of a man inside the Capitol matched the photo the agent took of Brooks and the photo on Brooks' driver's license. [The report makes note of Brooks' "white beard" multiple times.]
"Finally, the surveillance video of Brooks entering the Capitol clearly shows Brooks' clothing and physical attributes, including his white beard, and they appear to match the person in the selfie photograph that Brooks sent to his church text group of himself inside the Capitol [including a distinct scarf, red jacket, and hat]," the report detailed.
The surveillance video in question is said in the report to show the suspect believed to be Brooks looking directly at the camera. Along with his "distinctive white beard," Brooks is identified as wearing a red jacket, a plaid scarf and a "red/white/blue knit hat with the word 'TRUMP' on the front."
The criminal complaint was signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Robin M. Meriweather and dated July 27. According to the Department of Justice's online records, Brooks was arrested two days after the dated complaint.
Brooks is charged with "entering and remaining and disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and "disorderly conduct and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building."
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