Jan. 6 Defendant Arrested After Alleged Metro Hair-Touching Incident

Bryan Betancur, a 29-year-old man pardoned in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, was taken into custody in Arlington, Virginia, on Thursday after an alleged incident involving a woman’s hair aboard the Washington-area Metro system.

The arrest came two days after Betancur completed a sentence in the District of Columbia for the same offense, according to the information provided. The brief account did not identify the woman, specify where on the Metro the latest encounter allegedly happened or describe what Betancur is accused of doing beyond touching her hair.

The account also did not say which law-enforcement agency made the arrest, whether Betancur was formally charged in the new case, or what court proceedings may follow. No details were provided about the woman’s account or whether she was injured.

The timing places the Arlington custody shortly after Betancur’s release from the District sentence. The reported interval was two days: he completed that sentence on Tuesday and was taken into custody on Thursday.

The District of Columbia and Arlington are part of the Washington metropolitan area, whose Metrorail network links the capital with Northern Virginia and Maryland. The available information, however, does not establish whether the alleged conduct occurred on a train, at a station or elsewhere in the transit system.

Betancur’s prior connection to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack is described as having resulted in a pardon. The account provides no further details about the underlying Jan. 6 case, the date or terms of the pardon, or the offense for which he served the recently completed sentence.

The allegations concerning the Metro incident remain allegations; the information provided does not include a plea, court finding or response from Betancur. Further details about the arrest and any next steps in the case were not available.