HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — A California woman was arrested in Huntsville in connection to the January 6 U.S. Capitol riot, according to court documents.
A criminal complaint alleges that 27-year-old Stephanie M. Baez of California illegally entered the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6 with the intent to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 election.
Baez was determined by investigators to have illegally entered the Capitol on January 6 based on photos, videos and mobile device location records. According to the court documents, Baez also admitted to being present at the Capitol, but claims she was "just trying to document" the event and was "acting like a reporter" and various social media comments.
Baez repeatedly claimed she never damaged anything in her statements and in her social media posts.
In a response to an Instagram comment, Baez wrote "We might lose our country but we sure as hell won't make it easy. But we won't lose."
Despite claiming multiple time on social media that she believed they were allowed in the Capitol building, but according to the criminal complaint, the Capitol building was considered "restricted" at the time.
"A 'restricted building' includes a posted, cordoned off, or otherwise restricted area of a building or grounds where the President or other person protected by the Secret Service, including the Vice President, is or will be temporarily visiting; or any building or grounds so restricted in conjunction with an event designated as a special event of national significance," the complaint reads.
In multiple social media comments, Baez claims that police let people through barriers.
"I cannot believe the hypocrisy on the left from this. The only bad thing Trump supporters did, which I will call out, was break windows. Cops LET THEM PAST the barriers. And the citizens of America are ALLOWED TO BE IN THE CAPITOL BUILDING WHEN ANYTHING IS IN SESSION," one comment reads.
In other social media comments, Baez claimed that "Antifa" was also at the riot.
"These ppl really fell for the 'incitement thing'? People got mad, yes, an election was stolen! But Trump was an Angel! Also Antifa was there 100%," anther comment reads.
The complaint says Baez told investigators she had looked up the Capitol's hours prior to the event and had confirmed that it would be open so she could tour it after attending former President Trump's speech in Washington. She later told investigators that she could have possibly read the website wrong.
Additionally, a man from Madison, Alabama was arrested on June 8 in connection to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The FBI alleges that 29-year-old Dillon Colby Herrington of Madison threw multiple objects, including a metal barricade and wooden 4x4, at Capitol police during the incident.