UNIVERSAL CITY, Texas – A University City man has been arrested and charged with several federal offenses in connection with the breach at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, federal officials said.
Steven Cappuccio, 52, is charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; obstruction of an official proceeding and civil disorder; robbery and aiding and abetting; and disorderly and disruptive conduct on restricted grounds with a dangerous weapon, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office in the District of Columbia.
Cappuccio was arrested on Aug. 10 and made his initial court appearance in a federal courtroom in San Antonio the next day.
According to court documents unsealed Wednesday, Cappuccio was captured on body-worn camera footage and surveillance video on the lower west terrace of the Capitol.
The videos show Cappuccio joined in an effort to push past officers guarding the lower west terrace doors inside the tunnel and violently ripped the mask off of Officer Daniel Hodges, who was pinned against the doors by other rioters, the news release said.
The video of Hodges screaming in pain and bleeding from the mouth as he’s pinned in a doorway that protesters are trying to push through was seen widely during the news coverage of the Jan. 6 breach. It was played during a Congressional hearing in which Officer Hodges testified.
Cappuccio can be seen on video grabbing the Hodges’ mask and yanking on it, with what appears to be a significant amount of force, prosecutors said. Portions of the events were filmed by another rioter inside the tunnel who has since been arrested. Cappuccio is also seen armed with a baton as he pulled on Hodges’ mask.
More than 570 suspects have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including over 170 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.
The breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
You can read the indictment which alleges Cappuccio’s criminal involvement in the riot below:
Mehaffie Et Al - Indictment - Aug 2021 by David Ibanez on Scribd
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