Right-wing social media influencer charged for role in January 6 riots

A 24-year-old conservative social media influencer was arrested and charged with several misdemeanours related to her alleged involvement in the January 6 attack on the Capitol, including allegedly stealing a table and passing it off to other rioters to fight back against police.

The influencer, Isabella DeLuca, was arrested in Irvine, California, on Monday and charged with theft of government property and entering a restricted building, among other charges.

According to an affidavit, federal law enforcement officials were made aware that Ms DeLuca was at the Capitol on January 6 approximately three days after the riot. Ms DeLuca told followers on X and Instagram that she was going to the Capitol and live-streamed parts of the riot on her platform.

Isabella DeLuca appears outside the Supreme Court on Capitol Hill on 26 October 2020

Ms DeLuca has over 335,000 followers on X and 125,000 followers on Instagram.

When initially interviewed, Ms DeLuca told investigators she was at the Capitol but denied entering the building.

However, federal investigators allege Ms DeLuca can be seen entering the Capitol through a broken window on the Lower West Terrace and removing a table to pass to rioters outside of another window, in footage taken at the Capitol that day.

That table was allegedly used by rioters to assault law enforcement officers guarding the lower west tunnel.

Through a search warrant, federal investigators uncovered messages Ms DeLuca exchanged with acquaintances on Instagram in which she described the scene as “insanity”, claiming she was maced and experienced a sound bomb.

On 7 January, Ms DeLuca responded to a message from an Instagram user asking why she supported breaking into the Capitol saying, “According to