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Former Jan. 6 Pardonee Bryan Betancur Arrested on New Assault Charges
By Drooid · · How we work
Recent Arrest and New Charges
Arlington County Sheriff’s deputies took Bryan Betancur, 29, into custody on Thursday after he appeared in a Virginia court seeking dismissal of a pending assault-and-battery charge tied to a March 1 incident on a Silver Line Metro train at Clarendon Station. He is also charged with failure to appear for a prior hearing on the same case. Law-enforcement officials say Betancur posted videos of himself stroking the hair of two women while seated behind them on Metro trains in Washington and Virginia.
Background: Jan. 6 Pardon and Prior Convictions
Betancur, a resident of Silver Spring, Md., was convicted in 2022 for breaching restricted areas during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. President Donald Trump later pardoned him for that offense. After serving four months in prison for the Capitol breach, Betancur faced additional stalking-related offenses, including another hair-touching episode on public transit that occurred around the same time.
Law-Enforcement Actions and Legal Status
Investigators identified Betancur as a self-professed white supremacist and linked his social-media videos to the Metro incidents. Following his release from the D.C. Department of Corrections earlier this week, Arlington deputies booked him on the new assault charge. The Maryland resident’s prior assault conviction resulted in a judge sentencing him on August 13 to 180 days in prison; because he had remained in custody since April, he was required to serve only an additional 52 days.
Data and Timeline
- March 1 – Alleged hair-touching assault on a Metro train at Clarendon Station.
- August 13 – Sentencing to 180 days; 52 days remaining after credit for time served.
- April 2026 – Continued detention counted toward the August sentence.
- Recent Thursday – Arrest by Arlington County Sheriff’s Office for assault-and-battery and failure to appear.
Upcoming Proceedings
Betancur is scheduled for a bond hearing on Friday morning. The hearing will address the new assault charge and the outstanding failure-to-appear warrant.