Las Vegas man arrested in connection with riot at US Capitol

A Las Vegas man accused of spraying a fire extinguisher toward police during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol was arrested Monday on felony and misdemeanor counts, according to federal prosecutors.

Mario Gonzalez, 51, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in Washington, D.C., with felony counts of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder and assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Gonzalez also faces misdemeanor counts of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, authorities said.

“His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election,” a statement from the U.S. attorney’s office said.

Gonzalez was arrested Monday by the FBI in Las Vegas and made his initial appearance in the District of Nevada, authorities said.

At least seven other people with ties to Nevada have either been arrested or convicted in connection with their alleged involvement in the riot.

According to allegations contained in court documents, Gonzalez traveled from Las Vegas to Washington, D.C., and was present among a mob of rioters illegally assembled on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021.

As rioters pushed a police line back and up stairs leading to the upper west terrace of the Capitol, Gonzalez filmed the altercation and took selfie-style recordings of himself using his cellphone, authorities said.

Court documents allege Gonzalez sprayed a fire extinguisher toward police, who deployed a chemical riot control agent in his direction, causing Gonzalez to drop the fire extinguisher and retreat into the crowd.

In 36 months since the riot, more than 1,265 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states with crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, authorities said. The investigation remains ongoing, authorities said.

At least seven other people with ties to Nevada have either been arrested or convicted in connection with their alleged involvement in the riot.