Man accused of rioting on January 6 is arrested with guns near Obama’s home

A man charged with involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol was arrested Thursday afternoon near former President Barack Obama’s home in Washington, as police found weapons, ammunition and materials capable of making explosives in the van belonging to the suspect, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the case.

Taylor Taranto, 37, of no fixed address, livestreamed his pre-arrest activities, including when he drove into the neighborhood and briefly spoke to a member of the Service Department stationed there. On the livestream, he talked about seeking an interview with John Podesta, a Democratic official who has been at the center of far-right conspiracy theories, and also talked about the neighborhood of underground tunnels. He entered a wooded area and tried to take pictures of a house.

“I’m standing in front of Barack Obama’s house,” he said at one point in the live stream.

The District of Columbia Police Department, commonly known as the Metropolitan Police Department, said in a statement that Mr. Taranto was charged as a fugitive from justice. The warrant was issued by the US Capitol Police, but police did not provide details of the underlying charges.

Jason Bell, acting assistant chief of the Capitol Police for protective and intelligence operations, said in a statement that his bureau’s officers were assisting with the investigation “because of public safety concerns and the potential violence against members of Congress.”

Mr. Taranto’s arrest was previously reported by NBC News.

The officers who arrested Mr. Taranto called a city explosives unit to search the suspect’s van. The official familiar with the case said weapons, explosive-making materials and several hundred ammunition were recovered.

Mr. Taranto has been sued by the widow of Officer Jeffrey Smith, a Metropolitan Police Department officer who committed suicide following the violence at the Capitol. The indictment alleges that during the attack, Mr. Taranto handed a stick or crowbar to another man, who used it to assault Officer Smith.

Mr Taranto has denied doing this.

The official said investigations into Mr Taranto continued, including what his target was in the neighborhood, a wealthy enclave where the Obamas have owned a Tudor-style mansion since 2017.

It was unclear if the Obamas were home at the time. Mr. Taranto was not in what the Secret Service describes as the “protective zone” around the house when he was arrested.

“There is no active threat to the community,” the Metropolitan Police Department said in its statement.

Eileen Sullivan reporting contributed.