A man who broke into the Capitol during Wednesday’s riot was arrested Sunday after authorities were allegedly tipped off by his ex-wife, an arrest affidavit shows.
Larry Rendell Brock of Grapevine, Texas, was arrested by the FBI and charged with knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building along with violent entry and disorderly conduct.
A witness claiming to be Brock’s ex-wife alerted authorities on Jan. 8 that she could positively identify Brock from a picture taken inside the Capitol, according to the arrest affidavit.
“I just know that when I saw this was happening I was afraid he would be there,” the witness said, according to the report. “I think you already know he was there. It is such a good picture of him and I recognize his patch.”
CAPITOL RIOT ARREST UPDATE:
*Larry Rendell Brock, a Texas man who was photographed in tactical gear on the Senate floor, surrenders to the FBI.
*His ex-wife turned him in after seeing photos of riot.https://t.co/W5WkUGPDZY pic.twitter.com/S0kJntr0UC— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) January 11, 2021
The witness, who said she and Brock were married for 18 years, said she recognized Brock wearing a military-style helmet, khaki’s and a patch from his military service.
The affadavit noted that Brock was alleged to have entered the Capitol wearing “a green helmet, green tactical vest with patches, black and camo jacket, and beige pants holding a white flex cuff.”
John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto’s Munk School, contacted the FBI to explain that he suspected Brock, formally known as Lieutenant Colonel Larry Rendall Brock, Jr., was one of the men at the riot, according to The New Yorker.
Scott-Railton said he was able to identify Brock due to facial recognition and image enhancement along with using context clues from the patches Brock was wearing, according to the report. (RELATED: State Lawmaker Arrested After Recording Himself Storming Capitol Building)
Brock was reportedly wearing several patches on his person including the insignia of the 706th Fighter Squadron. He also wore symbols that suggested he lived in Texas, according to the report.
Brock later confirmed in an interview with The New Yorker that he was in fact the man seen in the photos, but denied being involved in the violence.
“The President asked for his supporters to be there to attend, and I felt like it was important, because of how much I love this country, to actually be there,” he said, according to the report. Brock also said that when he arrived inside the Capitol, he thought he was welcomed to enter the building.
At least 82 individuals have been arrested in connection with the riot, according to Fox News.
The FBI has continued to release images of alleged perpetrators and suspects from Wednesday’s riot on social media in an attempt to solicit help from the public in identifying the individuals.
Do you see anyone you recognize? The #FBI is still seeking information to help identify individuals who actively instigated violence on January 6 in Washington, D.C. Visit https://t.co/o9rDVDsk5S to see images from current cases, and submit tips to https://t.co/buMd8vYXzH. pic.twitter.com/R9JqN8TqpP
— FBI (@FBI) January 8, 2021
Five individuals, including a Capitol Police officer, died during the riot. Officer Brian D. Sicknick died from injuries sustained as he tried to get the rioters under control. Three individuals died because of “medical emergencies” and the fifth victim, Ashli Babbitt, was shot and killed by law enforcement inside the Capitol.