HOUSTON – Charges have been filed this week against a Houston man for his alleged participation in the Jan. 6 insurrection and riots at the United States Capitol.
Raul Eduardo Jarrin is accused of committing a number of violations, including disorderly conduct on restricted grounds and remaining in a restricted building with intent to impede or disrupt official functions, according to the United States Department of Justice.
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On January 6, 2021, a joint session of the United States Congress convened at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
During the session, elected members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate were meeting in separate chambers of the Capitol building to certify the vote count of the Electoral College of the 2020 Presidential Election. Mike Pence, who was vice president at the time, was present and presiding. As the proceedings continued in both the House and the Senate, a large crowd gathered outside the U.S. Capitol.
Police attempted to maintain order and keep the crowd from entering the Capitol, but shortly after 2 p.m., individuals in the crowd forced their way inside by breaking windows and climbing walls, allegedly assaulting members of the police along the way.
After sorting through an extensive amount of data, Jarrin was identified as one of the offenders.
On July 2, 2021, Jarrin was interviewed at the FBI Houston Field Office. During his interview, he allegedly admitted he was in the vicinity of the Capitol that day, but denied entering the building.
Jarrin said he did attend the “Save America” rally where former President Donald Trump was speaking, and showed photos from that event. One of the photographs shows the Capitol building in the distance with bicycle rack barricades in the foreground, according to court documents.
Jarrin allegedly told investigators that he decided to leave the area shortly after that, but the time stamps from his Metro SmarTrip card indicate he was likely still in the area during the time of the riot.
Investigators obtained surveillance video which appears to show Jarrin entering and exiting the Capitol building. He was wearing a green jacket, red baseball hat, red shirt, blue jeans, and brown boots. In the footage, the man appearing to be Jarrin can be seen entering the building, then exiting 15 seconds later with other individuals.
From another camera just inside the building, the same individual can be seen entering through the door and walking inside approximately 10 feet. The man paused to take his phone out of his pocket, appearing to take photos, then turned to exit through the same door.
A search of Jarrin’s mobile device led police to find 82 photos and three videos taken with the cellphone.
Based on the evidence, investigators felt they had probable cause for charges. Jarrin is not accused of any violence on his behalf, however, breaching the building is a violation.
Click here to see a full list of people charged in the incident.