A woman from Northridge, aged 27, has been taken into custody on federal felony and misdemeanor charges for her alleged involvement in the breach of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
According to the United States Department of Justice, Kayla Reifschneider has been charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia. The charges include a felony offense of obstruction of an official proceeding, as well as several misdemeanor charges. These misdemeanors include entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and acts of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings.
Reifschneider’s first court appearances were scheduled for Wednesday in downtown Los Angeles.
According to court documents, Reifschneider, a member of the Telegram online chat group Patriots 45, which aimed to support then-President Donald Trump and discuss alleged election fraud, made a trip from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. prior to January 6, 2021.
In response to the comment, Reifschneider clarified, stating, “That’s right. We’re not associated with Antifa or BLM. Our organization has a clear mission.”
The DOJ also claims that she engaged in discussions about supplying the individual in question with weapons, specifically mentioning a stun gun and pepper spray, with the intention of having them transport these items to Washington DC.
According to court documents, Reifschneider was captured on open-source video footage from Jan. 6, 2021, shouting obscenities at the police on the Upper West Terrace. Afterward, she moved to the east side of the Capitol building, where a gathering of rioters had formed, including media personnel.
According to the documents, the media was positioned behind bike racks, creating a physical barrier between them and the crowd. A video, which is said to be open-source, captures the moment when Reifschneider can be seen passionately shouting at the members.
According to the Department of Justice, Reifschneider’s alleged actions, along with the actions of others, caused disruption during a joint session of Congress. This session was convened to verify and count the electoral votes for the 2020 presidential election.
It has been 38 months since January 6, 2021, and investigators have made a total of 1,358 arrests in all 50 states as part of the extensive and ongoing investigation.
