Barbara Balmaseda: South Florida woman arrested, charged in Jan. 6 riot at US Capitol
WASHINGTON -- A South Florida woman has been arrested and is facing a host of charges in connection with the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. that was an attempt to halt the peaceful of transfer of power to Joe Biden, federal officials said Monday.
Barbara Balmaseda, 23, of Miami Lakes, was named in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with a felony offense of obstruction of an official proceeding and misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building or grounds, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building, federal prosecutors said in a written statement.
Balmaseda was arrested last Thursday in Miami Lakes before she made her initial appearance in the Southern District of Florida, according to the statement. It was not immediately clear Monday if she had posted bond.
In a written statement to CBS News Miami, attorney Aubrey Webb, who is representing Balmaseda, said: "It was unnecessary for the federal task force comprising of the FBI, Marshals, ATF, and Metro-Dade Police to arrest her for essentially trespassing charges. When the FBI contacted us over a year ago, I told tthem that she will voluntarily surrender if they ever want to arrest her. We are also disappointed that it took almost three years for DOJ to decide to charge her."
She is the latest Floridian to face charges in connection with the Capitol riot.
Miami Lakes woman caught on camera in Jan. 6 riot in DC
According to court documents, Balmaseda traveled from Florida to Washington, D.C., to protest the result of the 2020 presidential election.
Prior to her arrival in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 5, 2021, Balmaseda exchanged messages with several associates in which she participated in communications reflecting her belief that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen and her knowledge about the certification process scheduled to take place on Jan. 6, 2021.
Prosecutors alleged that Balmaseda was photographed on Jan. 6, in Black Lives Matter Plaza in downtown Washington, D.C.
Shortly after, at 2 p.m., Balmaseda approached the Capitol building with another individual and was in position to see the crowd of rioters climbing the scaffolding on the west side of the Capitol and plumes of smoke that billowed into the air, according to prosecutors.
By this time, rioters had overwhelmed officers on the west front, bypassed the officer lines, and gained access to the northwest stairs of the Capitol. Around 2:09 p.m., rioters pushed past officers on the middle landing of the stairs and surged toward the Capitol building.
According to the court documents, Balmaseda was present towards the front of the mob of rioters on the west front of the Capitol grounds. Balmaseda and the other individual then climbed on equipment that had been staged in preparation for the Presidential Inauguration to gain closer access to the Capitol's northwest stairs. Balmaseda and another individual climbed on top of the concrete stairs and up the balustrade toward the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol.
U.S. Capitol Police closed-circuit television filmed Balmaseda entering the Capitol building via the Senate Wing door at approximately 2:16 p.m., just four minutes after rioters initially breached the building.
When Balmaseda entered the building, broken glass was scattered on the ground, and an alarm blared near the doorway. After entering the Capitol, Balmaseda made her way toward the Crypt and pushed her way to the front of a crowd of rioters who were confronting a police line. The mob eventually overran the police line and proceeded into the Crypt. Balmaseda moved forward, joined a crowd of rioters, and headed towards an area known as the "OAP Corridor," where another line of officers initially blocked a hallway. The officers eventually backed away, and the rioters, including Balmaseda, continued to move forward.
Balmaseda then made her way back to the Crypt and eventually entered the Rotunda, where she took photographs and exited the area at approximately 2:53 p.m., Balmaseda returned to the Rotunda and stood nearby as a group of rioters attempted to push through an officer line. At approximately 3:11 p.m., law enforcement officers received additional support in the Rotunda and were able to corral rioters, Balmaseda included, towards the nearest exit, the Rotunda doors.
Said Webb: "For the past year and a half, the government has tried to make Ms. Balmaseda's life difficult by placing her in its "Quiet Skies program," which makes her subject to enhanced screening at airports. She has no criminal history, and the government has not charged her with any violence or destruction of property."
Officials said the case against Balmaseda is being investigated by the FBI's Miami and Washington Field Offices.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section, according to the statement.
Jan. 6 participants snared in federal probes
In the 35 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,230 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 440 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony.
Federal officials said investigations into other suspects are continuing.
