(CN) — Authorities arrested six California men, including a former police chief, on Thursday in connection to the attempted insurrection on the U.S. Capitol. Evidence shows that the men shared images of weapons and the logistics on their trip to Washington, D.C., in the lead-up to the attack.
The riot broke out on Jan. 6, leaving five dead and more than 100 police officers injured, as a Joint Session of the House and Senate was underway to certify then-President Donald Trump's loss of the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden. The session took place against the backdrop of former President Donald Trump falsely declaring election fraud.
Earlier in the day at a park near the White House, Trump spoke at a rally where he instructed attendees to “stop the steal.” “If you don't fight like hell," he urged, "you're not going to have a country anymore.”
Over the ensuing five months, authorities have brought some 500 cases against individuals tied to the insurrection — with approximately 70 of them involving members of law enforcement or the military. A federal grand jury in Washington added to that figure with a 20-page indictment Thursday.
It describes how Alan Hostetter, the ex-police chief of the city of La Habra, California, communicated with five others in the days leading up to the attack via encrypted messaging apps to discuss their plans to disrupt Congress.
Hostetter, 56, led La Habra’s police department for less than a year in 2010. More recently, the San Clemente ran has served as a yoga instructor and founded an extreme right-wing group to oppose California’s Covid-19 restrictions last summer. He is accused of obstructing an official proceeding and several other charges.
The other California men named in the new indictment are Russell Taylor, 40, of Ladera Ranch; Erik Scott Warner, 45, of Menifee; Felipe Antonio “Tony” Martinez, 47, of Lake Elsinore; Derek Kinnison, 39, of Lake Elsinore; and Ronald Mele, 51, of Temecula.
On Dec. 28, 2020, Warner started a group message thread where Mele, Kinnison, Martinez and he discussed a cross-country road trip. The following day, Hostetter and Taylor messaged each other about what type of firearms they would bring.
On New Year’s Day 2021, Taylor created a chat group called “The California Patriots-DC Brigade,” with the named defendants and more than 30 others, according to the indictment.
“l am assuming that you have some type of weaponry that you are bringing with you and plates as well,” wrote Taylor, referring to armor plates.
Kinnison sent a photo to the group that included himself, Martinez and Warner, where he explained that they were part of the far-right, anti-government Three Percenters group, according to the charging document.
“We are 3 percent so cal. Also coming with us is redline Ron [MELE]," wrote Kinnison.
Kinnison wrote his group could not fly and would drive because of the amount of gear they planned to bring. That included medical kits, radios, multiple cans of bear spray, knives, flags, plates, goggles and helmets, according to prosecutors. Kinnison also advised the group to delete all their messages in the group on Jan. 5 “just in case for opsec purposes."
Mele, Martinez, Kinnison and Warner messaged each other ahead of their trip to discuss what type of firearms they planned to bring. According to the charging documents, Mele wrote, “shorter the better. Mine will be able to be stashed under the seat. I’ll bring it. 18' barrel.”
Prosecutors said Kinnison sent a text message to Mele, Warner and Martinez a photo of himself wearing a bandolier of shotgun ammunition around his body.
The men exchanged more messages in encrypted channels ahead of the Jan. 6 attack, while others simply broadcast their thoughts via social media. According to prosecutors, Hostetter wrote from his Instagram account on Jan. 3: “Things are going to come to a head in the U.S. in the next several days. Stay tuned!”
