PHOENIX — The man in the horned headdress during the riot at the U.S. Capitol made his initial appearance in a Phoenix federal courtroom Monday.
Jacob Chansley, AKA Jake Angeli, Arizona man makes first court appearance in for charges related to storming the U.S. Capitol. His mom says he hasn’t eaten since Friday because the detention facility won’t feed him all organic food. @abc15 pic.twitter.com/doTLFal4At
— Melissa Blasius (@MelissaBlasius) January 11, 2021
Jacob Chansley, also known as Jake Angeli, appeared telephonically as he is being held in a quarantine section of a detention facility.
Chansley, who is from Phoenix, turned himself in to the FBI field office after returning from Washington, D.C., Saturday morning. He is accused of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
Both charges are federal misdemeanors.
The 33-year-old QAnon conspiracy theorist was a frequent participant in pro-Trump rallies in Phoenix in recent months. He often appeared in a costume of horns, fur headdress, and tan pants with no shirt.
Chansley politely addressed the judge but did not make any statements regarding the charges against him. He did say that he may be able to contact a friend who could provide a private attorney for him.
"I'm not really all that worried about it because, in all honesty...I didn't break any laws. I walked through open doors," said Chansley in an interview Thursday with reporting partner Newsy.
The public defender representing Chansley in a Phoenix courtroom Monday said Chansley was on an extremely restrictive diet, perhaps for religious reasons, and had not eaten since he was taken into custody.
The judge said that was “deeply concerning” and ordered Chansley’s public defender to work with U.S. Marshals on the dietary concerns.
Chansley’s mother was in the courtroom Monday.
In an interview Thursday, Martha Chansley was unapologetic for her son’s role in the violent and deadly disruption of Congress. Members had to be evacuated while trying to certify votes from the November presidential election.
Martha Chansley referred to her son as a “patriot” and the “gentlest person I know.“
This article was written by Melissa Blasius for KNXV.
