A California man who stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, and strutted into the Senate Gallery to snap selfies while Congress cowered, has been locked up for his crimes. Andrew Alan Hernandez, 45, of Riverside, California, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for aiding and abetting obstruction of an official proceeding—one of the most serious felonies tied to the insurrection.
Hernandez, who carried a U.S. flag on a pole with a camera mounted to it, arrived at the Ellipse that day for the rally and then marched on the Capitol like a man on a mission. At 1:59 p.m., as the mob surged forward and tore down police barricades, he didn’t hesitate. He vaulted past the wreckage, climbed the East Plaza steps, and joined the mob storming toward the Rotunda Door.
At 2:37 p.m., minutes after rioters first breached the East Rotunda Door, Hernandez slipped inside the Capitol. He made his way straight to the Senate Gallery—a seat of American democracy—and loitered there until 2:45 p.m., snapping selfies like a tourist at a theme park. By 2:51 p.m., he was gone, slipping back out through the same Rotunda Door, his backpack slung over his shoulder and his conscience apparently unbothered—until the FBI caught up with him.
Hernandez was arrested on February 25, 2021, in Riverside, California. He pleaded guilty on September 21, 2022. U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly didn’t mince words: she slapped him with 36 months of supervised release and ordered $2,000 in restitution to cover the cost of the chaos he helped unleash.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, with help from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. The FBI’s Los Angeles and Washington Field Offices led the investigation, backed by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Capitol Police—forces Hernandez directly defied.
More than 950 suspects have been arrested nationwide since January 6, 2021, including over 284 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The dragnet is still active. Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov. The reckoning isn’t over.
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- CA Man Charged with Felony for Jan. 6 Capitol Breach Actions · Washington
- California Woman Faces Felony Charges for Jan. 6 Capitol Breach · Washington
- Florida Man Gets 18 Months for Jan. 6 Capitol Riot · Washington
Key Facts
- State: Washington DC
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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