A January 6 fugitive had two guns and 400 rounds of ammunition in his van when he was arrested close to the home of former President Barack Obama this week, federal authorities said.
Taylor Taranto, 37, was arrested on Thursday outside the Obamas’ Washington DC home hours after he shared a social media post from former president Donald Trump which revealed his predecessor’s address.
Taranto was arrested on charges stemming from his activities during the Capitol riot two years ago. Law enforcement also discovered materials for a Molotov cocktail in his vehicle.
The matter is being reviewed by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Mr Taranto was detained by the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department and federal law enforcement, and charged with being a fugitive from justice.
“Arresting officers requested MPD’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team to perform a vehicle sweep of the individual’s van near the location of the arrest,” MPD said in a statement, according to CNN. “There is no active threat to the community and this incident remains under investigation.”
Mr Taranto reposted a Truth Social post by Mr Trump which included an article containing the address of the Obamas as well as a number of other Democrats. Mr Taranto added his own comment: “Got them surrounded!”
The 2017 article shared by Mr Trump was a piece in The Phyllis Schlafly Report, named after the conservative activist who passed away in 2016. It included the home address of the Obamas.
In a live stream, Mr Taranto told his audience that he also had a “detonator,” according to Mediaite.
The shocking scene played out in the wealthy neighbourhood of Kalorama on Thursday. Mr Taranto was chased by police and Secret Service while he ran towards the home of the Obamas and warned authorities that he had an explosive device.
CBS News reported that he fled after being spotted by Secret Service, who had apparently been alerted to his intentions after Mr Taranto made “threats during recent live streams on social media”.
Mr Taranto had an active arrest warrant related to the attack on the Capitol when he was captured near the former president’s home, according to CBS.
DC police confirmed to The Independent that Mr Taranto had been charged with being a fugitive from justice pursuant to another arrest warrant and that officers had conducted an explosives sweep of his vehicle.
“This afternoon, MPD and our federal law enforcement partners arrested 37-year-old Taylor Taranto, of no fixed address, in the 2400 block of Kalorama Road, Northwest. He has been charged with Fugitive from Justice, pursuant to an arrest warrant. Arresting officers requested MPD’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team to perform a vehicle sweep of the individual’s van near the location of the arrest. There is no active threat to the community and this incident remains under investigation,” wrote an MPD spokesperson.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Mr Obama or any members of his family were home at the time of the incident.
The former president was in DC earlier this week for lunch with his former VP, incumbent President Joe Biden, as the latter begins the long work of running for re-election.
