The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Lawyer: D.C. ban ‘extreme’ for CT woman charged in Capitol protest
The attorney for one of the Connecticut residents arrested Wednesday during the Washington protests called it "a little extreme" for his client to now be banned from the District of Columbia.
Groton residents Victoria Bergeson and Maurcio Mendez, both 40, were among the dozens of people arrested Wednesday and early Thursday in the aftermath of a mob storming the Capitol building in protest of Joe Biden being formally approved as the next president.
According to an arrest log, Bergeson and Mendez were arrested around 7:15 p.m. Wednesday in the 100 block of First Street Northwest, which is less than five minutes from the Capitol building.
Police issued three warnings for Bergeson and five other women on First Street Northwest to “disperse and go inside,” according
to the affidavit from her arrest. They did not obey the warnings and were arrested, according to the court document.
An affidavit for Mendez’s arrest said he was also arrested at the same location and time with eight other men.
Bergeson and Mendez are listed as living at the same address in Groton, according to court filings.
Police said Bergeson and Mendez were each charged with curfew violation and unlawful entry. It was not immediately known what role they played in the protest. They each pleaded not guilty to the charges during their arraignments on Thursday, according to online court records.
Bergeson was banned from the District of Columbia, despite the objection from her lawyer, Samuel Bogash, who asked she only be barred from the Capitol itself, court records show.
Bogash said many people would not realize the area where Bergeson was arrested is part of the Capitol grounds.
“To a first-time person, or somebody walking around, I wouldn’t know it’s on the Capitol grounds,” Bogash told Hearst Connecticut Media after his client’s arraignment.
He also said it was unclear if his client and the other people she were arrested with were able to hear the police announcements to disperse.
Bogash said he did not know why his client was in Washington, but said he knew "she was there with one particular person.”
Bogash said he is not representing that individual.
Bogash said he did not know much about his client, but thought she was employed as
a nurse.
Bergeson and Mendez were each released on promises to appear in court with their next hearings scheduled for June 10.
The attorney listed for Mendez did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
The Connecticut residents were arrested hours after a mob stormed the Capitol, sending elected officials under desks to seek cover as police tried to barricade the building. A protester was shot and killed inside, while three other people died from medical emergencies during the protest, police said. The Washington mayor, in an effort to curb the day’s violence, issued a 6 p.m. curfew.
A total of 69 people — including one juvenile — were arrested Wednesday and early Thursday, according to Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia.
While Bergeson and Mendez were the only Connecticut residents included in the arrest records, some of those charged did not have a home state listed.
Some of those charged were from as far as Colorado, Arizona, Oregon, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Illinois, the arrest records showed.
Additional information regarding the circumstances that led to the arrests has not been released.
In a statement Thursday, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the “violence and destruction of property” at the Capitol on Wednesday “showed a blatant and appalling disregard for our institutions of government and the orderly administration of the democratic process.”
“As we’ve said consistently, we do not tolerate violent agitators and extremists who use the guise of First Amendment-protected activity to incite violence and wreak havoc,” Wray said. “Such behavior betrays the values of our democracy. Make no mistake: With our partners, we will hold accountable those who participated in (Wednesday’s) siege of the Capitol.”
A long list of persons of interest involved in storming the Capitol were posted by the FBI on Thursday.
“Our agents and analysts have been hard at work through the night gathering evidence, sharing intelligence, and working with federal prosecutors to bring charges,” Wray said.
He urged members of the public to share tips, information and videos of illegal activity on the FBI website.
“We are determined to find those responsible and ensure justice is served,” Wray said.