Federal authorities have arrested a Virginia man in connection with the placement of two pipe bombs outside the headquarters of the Republican and Democratic National Committees the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, sources familiar with the matter tell ABC News.
The suspect is expected to faces charges for allegedly planting the devices — which investigators later determined were viable explosives that if detonated could have resulted in “serious injury or death” — marking an extraordinary development in one of the most high-profile federal investigations in recent history.
It’s not clear the full scope of evidence authorities have gathered allegedly tying him to the planting of the bombs. The arrest comes nearly five years after the discovery of the pipe bombs outside the RNC and DNC headquarters on the afternoon of Jan. 6, roughly 16 hours after they were placed by a suspect who was seen on various surveillance cameras wearing a gray-hooded sweatshirt, a mask, and a pair of Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers with a yellow logo.
Investigators described the suspect as having a severe gait, pointing to the movements seen in security camera footage.
The discovery triggered a massive law enforcement response to both locations just minutes before hundreds of supporters of President Donald Trump began breaching barricades outside of the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers were convening to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 election win.
The absence of other distinctive identifying characteristics of the suspect frustrated investigators for years as they issued repeated pleas to the public for tips that could help them track down the alleged pipe bomber.
