Stephanie Baez, a woman who was recorded saying on Jan. 6 that she wanted to “find me a Proud Boy,” referring to the white supremacy group, has been arrested in connection with the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that day.
Baez was arrested Friday in Alabama for her alleged involvement in the riot. According to a criminal complaint filed by the Justice Department, she was among the throng of Donald Trump supporters who violently forced entry into the Capitol in an attempt to stop the tally of Electoral College votes that affirmed Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election.
The complaint said several videos show Baez inside the Capitol during the riot. She was wearing a black T-shirt with an image of dystopian author George Orwell on it and the words, “Boy did I call it or what?”
In one video apparently filmed outside the Capitol, Baez is asked her opinion on the Proud Boys ― several of whose members have since been prosecuted for their involvement in the Capitol insurrection.
“I love the Proud Boys. I wanna find me a Proud Boy,” Baez said before giving out her Instagram handle.
She boasted on Instagram that she was “inside” the Capitol on the afternoon of Jan. 6, according to the complaint. Less than an hour later, she told another Instagram user that she was “ok” but “I got a bit of tear gas.”
Baez later admitted in an interview with the FBI that she had been at the Capitol that day, having walked there after attending then-President Trump’s rally, the complaint stated.
She denied that she had been in the building unlawfully.
“The defendant … stated that everyone was calm and no one had any reason to believe that they were not allowed inside,” the complaint said.
“The defendant further stated that some people were just following groups and she feels like it is insane not to take that into consideration,“ it added.
To date, the Department of Justice has arrested more than 465 people in connection with the Capitol riot.
“The Department of Justice’s resolve to hold accountable those who committed crimes on January 6th has not, and will not, wane,” the Justice Department said in a statement Friday.
Ryan J. Reilly contributed reporting.