A Chula Vista man was charged by federal prosecutors this week with taking part in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Howard Raymond Freelove was allegedly among a crowd that entered the Rotunda just before 2:45 p.m., according to a complaint filed in San Diego federal court.
Freelove was also identified in December 2021 as the man who harassed people at a Chula Vista coffee shop displaying a Black Lives Matter sign in its front window.
“I’m white, I’m (expletive) white!” Freelove is seen screaming in that video. He also walks into the coffee shop shouting, “Kill me, kill me, man, kill me, I’m white, I’m white!”
According to court documents, the FBI received a tip in December 2021 regarding Freelove’s alleged involvement in the Capitol breach.
Investigators reviewed Freelove’s social media accounts and discovered a video he allegedly recorded while driving.
In the video, he states, “Hello everyone, Freelove here. I left Chula Vista, California a couple of days ago, and I’m on my way to Washington D.C. for the rally,” according to a statement of facts authored by an FBI agent.
Though he initially said he was going to Washington D.C. on March 6, Freelove allegedly corrected himself, clarifying he was going to “march of the 6th.”
Court documents state that in the video, Freelove was wearing what appeared to be the same tinted glasses and red Trump baseball cap that he was seen wearing on surveillance footage captured from inside the Capitol.
Freelove was arrested Monday and released later that day on $5,000 bond, according to court records.
Freelove, who is charged with four misdemeanor counts, was allegedly caught on surveillance footage walking around the building with others and filming with a cellphone.
City News Service contributed to this report.