Crime

There's more evidence that the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol had inside help.

TMZ broke the story ... the FBI believes there are people who work in the Capitol who may have assisted rioters in navigating the building ... in many cases without resistance.

Congressman Jim Clyburn had his office looted ... we know an iPad was stolen. We're told the Congressman, who has been sharply critical of Trump, is angry that the rioters found his office, which does NOT have a nameplate ... the door is unmarked, yet the rioters somehow picked that door as opposed to hundreds of others.

High-ranking Capitol police sources say Clyburn and other members believe someone from the inside must have helped located key offices.

As we reported, the FBI is especially suspicious of the way rioters zeroed in on Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office. It's virtually impossible to find in the maze, yet the rioters were inside her office within 11 minutes.

The FBI is looking to see if some Capitol cops were involved in helping the rioters. We're told authorities are looking at cell phone data -- especially from cell phones of the hundreds of officers who were off duty -- to see if they were in the building at the time of the riot. We're told the FBI is also looking at other staff who work in the building.

Arnold Schwarzenegger just delivered a stirring message to the country, warning people, remnants of Nazi Germany that he saw have a striking similarity to what we all just saw.

Arnold displayed the Conan sword and used it as a metaphor to describe how the United States can triumph over the Capitol rioters who want to tear this country apart. You gotta hear his description ... it rings true.

The former Cali Guv, who was born in Austria 2 years after the Nazis lost WWII, compared the Nazis to the rioters.

He talked about Kristallnacht -- The Night of Broken Glass -- where the Nazis went on a rampage against the Jews in 1938 and then said the Proud Boys were the Nazi equivalent.  He says last Wednesday was our Night of Broken Glass.

Arnold called the elected officials and other leaders who have been empowering Trump "spineless," saying they were too cowardly to stand up to the worst President in our history.

And, Arnold offered something interesting ... an understanding of what's behind the rioters.

He explained something he told Harvey during an episode of "Objectified," where he said as a child his dad was a failed Nazi supporter who lost the war, became a drunk and was physically abusive to young Arnold. He said his dad was like other dads in his neighborhood -- angry and abusive. He's clearly comparing the failed Nazis to the insurrectionists who invaded the Capitol.

This case is clearly not going to have any racial implication, despite the victim's family feeling race had everything to do with her actions. The D.A. never uttered the words that the 14-year-old boy was black. This underscores the prosecutor's decision not to charge Miya with a hate crime.

There's also this ... prosecutors briefly detail another incident in which Miya allegedly damaged an apartment door somewhere in NYC BEFORE her run-in with the Harrolds.

She's due back in court in the Big Apple on March 29 -- and don't forget, she's got a couple court dates lined up later this month as well here in Cali for two other pending cases.

Miya Ponsetto -- aka SoHo 'Karen' -- isn't going to court kicking and screaming the way she allegedly has when getting arrested ... this time cops made sure it wouldn't happen, with the help of a couple restraints.

Here's Miya being led out of an NYC police precinct in lower Manhattan Saturday by a couple of detectives who are escorting her to a waiting vehicle, which is set to take her to Manhattan Criminal Court ... where she's expected to be arraigned on a slew of charges.

Check out Miya ... she's obviously handcuffed, but her feet are shackled as well. She's also got a face mask on, a beanie, black leggings and Birkenstocks ... similar to what she wore when she attacked 14-year-old Keyon Harrold Jr. at the Arlo Hotel in SoHo, falsely claiming he stole her iPhone.

As for her feet being bound ... it's interesting. Miya's got a documented history of allegedly resisting arrest -- in fact, cops say she did exactly that when they picked her up most recently and extradited her to NYC. Time after time, she appears to put up a fight.

Miya's been rung up on a ton of charges -- including attempted robbery, grand larceny, acting in a manner injurious to a child and two counts of attempted assault -- but she hasn't been charged with a hate crime, which is telling.

Keyon Jr.'s parents and their attorney, Ben Crump, made it clear this week on 'TMZ Live' ... there are two justice systems in this country, and that Black people often get the short end of the stick when authorities pursue justice on their behalf. They want her charged with a hate crime.

As for Saturday's scheduled arraignment ... we're hearing she should appear before a judge sometime this evening. No word yet on whether Miya plans to enter a plea.

The insurrectionists at the Capitol were out to harm and possibly kill Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and the video that has just surfaced makes this all pretty much undeniable.

New video has surfaced from Wednesday's attempted coup, and in one clip you hear a loud, chant ... "Hang Mike Pence, Hang Mike Pence ..."  Of course, Pence had made it clear just hours earlier ... he was going to certify Biden's victory.

The mob had the tools to make their chant a reality ... a full-on gallows scaffold, with a hanging noose attached.

And then, there's this video ... the mob going after Nancy Pelosi with a vengeance, trying to hunt her down in the Capitol, calling her a "bitch," a "traitor," and then they used the c-word. You hear a few mobsters order at Capitol cops, "Tell Pelosi we're coming for that bitch. Tell f***ing Pelosi we're coming for her."

Remember ... they found Pelosi's office in the Capitol maze in a New York minute, and that's one of the pieces of the puzzle the FBI is looking at ... the feds believe this could have been an inside job, where people who work at the building helped the rioters.

Of course, there's also the shot of the guy in tactical gear holding what appears to be a bunch of zip ties in hand. He actually made it onto the Senate floor, and seemed intent on using those things, given the opportunity.

And, there were bombs, guns, etc ... all the stuff killers use to execute their plan.

Shots of Capitol police officers letting pro-Trump rioters easily pass their line and facilitate the storming of the Capitol appears to be a practice that's been in place from sea to shining sea since at least December ... because something similar happened in Oregon.

Republican State Representative Mike Nearman was caught on surveillance video -- which was just released -- opening a side door to the Oregon State Capitol ... and then letting a sea of Trumpers in by allowing the door to slowly close behind, and never looking back.

This happened Dec. 21 during a special legislative session regarding COVID restrictions in the State, where pro-Trump demonstrators had gathered outside to protest shutdowns ... while literally banging on the glass doors trying to break their way in (just like at the U.S. Capitol).

Well, thanks to Rep. Nearman ... he made their breach a whole lot easier, because the guy literally pops open the door to the outside and casually passes the waiting mob -- which then proceed to storm inside. They were quickly met by cops and security, who pushed them back, but it looks like at least a few guys were able to get inside, if only for a bit.

The legislative session continued uninterrupted, and after a few invaders were arrested. Still ... things could've quickly turned left here. As for Nearman, he's been mum thus far about this -- refusing to respond to questions about it.

With a smoking gun as clear as this -- not to mention what we saw with our eyes just a few days ago in D.C. -- it's obvious that some people in power want to unleash mayhem.

The guy most everyone (infamously) remembers as the bare-chested insurrectionist with animal horns and face paint who stormed into the Capitol is now in federal custody.

Jacob Chansley -- more commonly known as Jake Angeli, per prosecutors -- was arrested Saturday in Phoenix on charges of knowingly entering/remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

He was arrested along with two other Arizona men, who officials say also stormed the premise. However, Chansley stands above the rest because of his wild outfit.

BTW, apparently, it was pretty easy to identify him ... prosecutors say they matched the guy's many photos from Wednesday with social media posts, including his YouTube channel. He also appears to have posed with one Rudy Giuliani not too long ago, this past November ... something Twitter users were quick to repost from his purported FB once it was deleted.

Not only that, but he even called the FBI and straight-up confessed to being the horned man everyone saw roaming around with a spear and flag, and desecrating the building.

According to prosecutors, Chansley said he came with other "patriots" because President Trump had instructed them to on Jan. 6 ... plain and simple. Prosecutors went on to say they're considering even more charges against Chansley.

Katy Perry's alleged stalker just missed a hearing in his trespassing case, and will suffer consequences, but the scarier part for Katy is he remains on the loose.

According to L.A. County Court records, William Edward Terry was charged on Wednesday with one count of trespassing for a September incident at the singer's Beverly Hills home. His arraignment was set for Friday ... but Terry was a no-show.

The L.A. City Attorney tells us the court issued a bench warrant for Terry's failure to appear. As we first reported, he allegedly terrorized the hell out of Katy and her newborn daughter in September when he hopped the fence and got onto her property.

The 38-year-old had been posting lewd messages on social media for months ... before showing up at Katy's home. Her security apprehended him and held him until cops showed up to arrest him for trespassing.

Here's an up-close and graphic view of the kind of violence police were facing as the mob stormed the Capitol -- an injured officer screaming for help as the rioters crushed him between a riot shield and a door.

The intense video captures the moment insurrectionists tried to bully their way inside the halls of Congress, clashing with the Capitol Police Department and leaving one officer on the front lines fighting for his life.

The cop was bleeding from his mouth as he was pinned against a door guarding the entrance to the west side of the Capitol. You could hear the mob yelling "heave ho" as they attempted to push through the police line -- and officers were swinging batons and deploying pepper spray to keep them back.

"Elizabeth from Knoxville" -- the woman who said she got maced storming the Capitol -- is being accused of using an onion to make it look like she was crying, but there could be a deeper, more ominous reason for the bulb -- that she and others were banking on violence at the Capitol.

Onions are an antidote to tear gas. They can relieve the burning sensation from the gas. It's been reported for several years that onions can be used for this purpose. So the question ... why was this woman armed with an onion?

As we reported ... the woman was interviewed as rioters were making their way into the Capitol Building, and claimed she got pushed out and maced. While crying and talking about a "revolution," she repeatedly kept dabbing her eyes with a towel.

The looming question is whether the invasion of the Capitol was premeditated or not. Did the rioters plan the attack or did it just happen? It's interesting ... if this were just a peaceful protest, why carry an onion?

There is other evidence the plan may have been to invade the Capitol. As we reported, one of the insurrectionists had zip ties ... and given the building was filled with members of Congress, it sure feels like someone might have been thinking in advance of taking hostages.

The storming of the U.S. Capitol was shocking, but photos of pro-Trump insurrectionists holding a bunch of zip-tie handcuffs show they might've planned to do much worse.

There were reports Wednesday some of the insurrectionists were prepared to occupy the Capitol throughout the night, and these zip tie pics suggest they were prepared to hold people -- perhaps Congressional leaders -- against their will.

At least 2 different men were seen holding the zip ties -- commonly used as disposable handcuffs -- inside the U.S. Senate Chamber after members of Congress were forced to flee due to the security breach.

On top of this ... we already know many members of the mob that invaded the Capitol were armed, willing to bust into offices and take whatever they wanted, and someone even left behind the threat, "Murder the media," by scratching it on a door.

And, don't forget -- D.C. cops also found explosives near the building that were safely detonated.

It's all potentially crucial evidence, as it could show President Trump wasn't spontaneously urging his amped-up followers to "show strength" and simply march to the Capitol -- it could show the attack was all a premeditated plan.

That means more serious charges for all the rioters, and possibly, for Trump once he's out of office.

Donald Trump was like a roadmap for the protesters who descended on D.C. Wednesday and wreaked havoc in the building that is the hallmark of our democracy, and as a result, he may have a new, non-presidential title -- criminal defendant.

Criminal defense lawyer Mike Cavalluzzi joins us on "TMZ Live" Friday to tick off the possible criminal charges Trump could face for inciting the crowd and encouraging them to wreak havoc in a building that is the foundation of our nation.

Mike zeroes in on the death of Ashli Babbitt, a woman who was part of the insurrection who was shot dead under the Capitol dome. There's something called felony murder ... that's when someone engages in or incites the commission of a violent felony in which someone dies.

The people who committed the initial felony -- even if they didn't fire the fatal shot -- could be charged with murder, and Trump's words and actions over the last 2 weeks arguably triggered the violent attempted coup that resulted in battery on police officers, vandalism and desecrating the hallowed structure.

Mike says Trump's words ... "You'll never take back our country with weakness, you have to show strength and you have to be strong." Well, that could be viewed by prosecutors as inciting a riot.

Tony Lopez -- one of the popular members of TikTok's Hype House -- used social media to "groom" and have sex with 2 teenage girls ... at least according to an explosive new lawsuit, but he denies the allegations.

The underage girls -- suing under the aliases H.L. Doe and C.H. Doe -- both claim 21-year-old Lopez first began communicating with them via text and social media despite knowing they were minors ... and say he tried to coerce them into meeting for sexual encounters.

H.L. alleges Lopez first lured her away from her friends on Jan. 4, 2020 and engaged in unlawful sexual acts with her ... including oral and vaginal sex. In the suit, the teen claims she told him she was 16 before that encounter, but later admitted she was really 15.

Even so, she alleges they had sex again on Jan. 19 at his place in Nevada -- and that Lopez told her not to take any pics with her phone because he wanted to keep their relationship secret.

The other accuser, C.H., claims she met Lopez in April 2020 when she was invited to the Hype House in L.A. by one of its founders, Thomas Petrou. She claims they exchanged text and Snapchat info, and Lopez -- knowing she was 16 -- almost immediately began soliciting nude photos or video from her.

C.H. alleges Lopez sent a photo of himself with the caption, "Show me your boobs," and repeatedly tried to coerce her into sending explicit photos or sneaking out to meet him to have sex.

She says she always declined, but according to the suit ... he allegedly sent her nude photos exposing his penis.

Both girls are suing Lopez for sexual battery and emotional distress. They're also suing Hype House and its founders -- including Petrou and Chase Hudson -- for negligence.

Lopez tells TMZ ... "These allegations are not at all true. I never sent nudes to these women and didn’t ask them to send me pictures either. And, I certainly wouldn’t have sex with someone who told me they were underage."

President Trump's Twitter suspension is over, and his first tweet is a video message of unity, peace and a promise the Capitol insurrectionists will be brought to justice. What a difference 36 hours makes.

In the video, shot at the White House, the President says he was outraged by the "violence, lawlessness and mayhem" seen Wednesday. Trump claims he "immediately" deployed the National Guard once the attack started -- but there's plenty of proof that just wasn't the case.

The troops didn't arrive until several hours after Senators and Representatives were forced to flee in fear for their lives.

Trump is now saying his only goal in challenging the election results was to ensure the integrity of the vote and defend American democracy. Of course, his words to his assembled crowd of followers yesterday were far more incendiary.

Interestingly, today's message included a vow to punish those responsible for the attack -- whom he softly refers to as "intruders" -- but yesterday he said "we love you."

Trump also verbalized, for the first time, what was essentially a concession ... saying a new administration will be inaugurated on January 20 and his focus is on a smooth and orderly transition of power.

Finally, Trump wrapped it up, saying his single term as President was the honor of his lifetime, but added ... "our incredible journey is only just beginning."

The pro-Trump protesters who stormed the U.S. Capitol building, incited violence and in some cases stole or damaged property are wanted by the FBI -- so take a closer look.

The FBI's on the hunt for the insurrectionists involved in the failed coup in Washington D.C. Wednesday -- which resulted in one woman being fatally shot -- asking the public for "tips and digital media depicting rioting and violence in the U.S. Capitol Building and surrounding area."

The feds want all the photos and video they can get of the lawlessness and violent acts that occurred in hope of identifying those responsible. So, they want the public to check out this (alleged) rogue gallery.

Anyone with pics or vids is asked to submit them at fbi.gov/USCapitol, or simply go to tips.fbi.gov to submit useful information.

The FBI says the goal is "to preserve the public’s constitutional right to protest by protecting everyone from violence and other criminal activity."

Some of the lowlights include the guy sitting at Nancy Pelosi's desk, and the dude in the Trump beanie grinning as he walked away with a Congressional lectern. Those 2 clowns have been ID'd already.

Richard Barnett from Arkansas was the one getting cozy in Pelosi's office. He's reportedly claiming he got shoved into the Capitol by accident and was merely looking for a bathroom. Doesn't really explain the notes he left on her desk, including one calling her a bitch. Save it for the judge, pal.

As for the lectern ... the FBI will be talking to Adam Johnson from Parrish, FL about that stolen item.

As we reported ... President Trump incited the march to the Capitol when he vowed to his protesters to never concede the election and demanded they "show strength."

He also failed to condemn the failed coup attempt and instead said he loved the people involved -- which led to a Twitter ban and a secret meeting among some members of Congress to remove him from office immediately via the 25th amendment.

Just a week after Louisville Metro PD Chief Yvette Gentry announced she would fire 2 cops for their roles in the deadly Breonna Taylor raid ... the ax has dropped.

The LMPD fired detectives Joshua Jaynes and Myles Cosgrove on Tuesday -- citing "extreme violations of our policies." Cosgrove, of course, was one of the cops present during the raid. He also fired shots.

Jaynes was not at the raid but he did file the paperwork with the judge to get the warrant. He's the officer who had info from a postal inspector that a drug suspect -- Breonna's ex-boyfriend -- was receiving packages at her home. Jaynes later admitted he never verified that info with the post office.

As we reported ... the LMPD had already fired Brett Hankison after determining he "violated obedience to rules and regulations” while serving the warrant. Remember, Hankison is also the only officer the grand jury indicted on a wanton endangerment charge, but the charge stemmed from shooting into a neighboring apartment and not for the shooting of Breonna.

Taylor and her BF, Kenneth Walker, were asleep when LMPD raided her apartment in the early hours of March 13.

Ryan Ayers -- a former Notre Dame college basketball player and later an assistant coach with the team -- has been charged with voyeurism after allegedly shooting multiple naked women without their consent.

Ayers -- who graduated in 2009 -- joined the Notre Dame coaching staff following the 2015-16 season ... but was let go in September without explanation.

Now, prosecutors are going after Ayers -- essentially claiming he's a predator who illegally recorded two different women in compromising positions without their knowledge.

Officials say the images were shot over a 4-year span. Investigator claim they recovered damning evidence from Ayers phone including "various images of naked women where they seem to be unaware that a photo was being taken of them."

"These images include the women in the shower, sleeping on a bed, or in a sexual position."

One of the women told investigators Ayers had shared images of her in a group chat with "the guys," according to documents obtained by the South Bend Tribune.

The woman also told investigators that she learned images of her, taken by Ayers in his South Bend home, had been shared by Ayers in a group chat with “the guys,” documents say.

Ayers was also charged with 1 count of domestic battery stemming from an alleged July 2020 altercation with one of the alleged voyeurism victims. The woman told authorities Ayers hit her in the face during an argument in a car.

For his part, Ayers has denied the allegations in a statement issued by his lawyer.