Gregory Mijares, identified by online sleuths as initiating a confrontation with law enforcement, was taken into custody after two years of investigation.
Gregory Mijares, accused of igniting a violent clash with police at the Capitol’s lower west tunnel on January 6, 2021, was arrested in Crown Point, Indiana, on Friday. Federal authorities identified him as the individual who breached the tunnel entry, setting off a skirmish that resulted in severe injuries to multiple officers and the death of rioter Rosanne Boyland.
Dubbed “Gas Hat” due to video evidence showing him wearing a gas mask as a hat during the confrontation, Mijares was initially identified by online researchers known as “Sedition Hunters” in 2021. The FBI subsequently received a tip regarding his identity in October 2021, interviewing him later in March 2023.
According to court documents, video footage captured Mijares as the first individual to enter the Capitol through the lower west terrace doors, an area that witnessed some of the most intense violence on January 6. The altercation left several officers with major injuries, exacerbating the chaotic scenes of that day.
The FBI charged Mijares with felony civil disorder, accompanied by two misdemeanor offenses. His role in the events surrounding the Capitol riot has brought renewed attention to the ongoing legal efforts to identify and prosecute those involved in the attack.
Authorities continue to build cases against individuals connected to the events at the Capitol, marking Mijares’ arrest as a step forward in the accountability process for January 6.
