Nearly a dozen ex-military members among those arrested in connection with Capitol riot
• 10 min read
US Capitol riots: Tracking the insurrection
On Jan. 6, rioters coming from a pro-Trump rally broke into the U.S. Capitol, resulting in deaths, injuries, arrests and vandalism.Win Mcnamee/Getty Images
Retired military servicemen are turning up in alarming numbers on wanted posters and in charging documents as federal agents continue their sweep of arrests tied to the deadly riot at the Capitol last week, a trend that has experts increasingly concerned about the dangerous allure of extremist and paramilitary groups.
So far at least nine of those arrested for participating in the riot have been confirmed to be former members of the U.S. military, ABC News has confirmed through court files, lawyer statements, and military records.
PITTSFIELD â Doris Zelno was watching on television last week when a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol.
âI saw the news myself and I was thinking, âI hope heâs not down there,ââ said Zelno, whose son was arrested following Jan. 6 siege. âBut sure enough, he was.â
Quote
âHeâs my son first. Heâs always going to be my son, but we don t agree on barely anything.â
â Doris Zelno of Pittsfield, whose son, David Lester Ross, was arrested last week in the aftermath of the attack on the Capitol
David Lester Ross, 33, of Pittsfield, an Army reservist, was arrested with several others about 7:15 p.m., and court documents list the location of his arrest as the 100 block of First Street NW. He faces two misdemeanor charges, violating the curfew in place in Washington, D.C., at the time and unlawfully entering the U.S. Capitol grounds.