27-year-old Northridge woman arrested for role in US Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021

A 27-year-old Northridge woman has been arrested on federal felony and misdemeanor charges for her alleged role in the breach of the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. 

Kayla Reifschneider has been charged in a criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia with a felony offense of obstruction of an official proceeding and several misdemeanor charges, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, and acts of physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings, according to the United States Department of Justice. 

Reifschneider's initial court appearances was scheduled for Wednesday in downtown Los Angeles. 

Court documents alleged that Reifschneider, who is a member of the Telegram online chat group Patriots 45, which was organized to support then-President Donald Trump and discuss what they viewed as fraudulent election results, traveled from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. ahead of Jan. 6, 2021. 

Prosecutors alleged that one post on the group's forum, Reifschneider shared a screenshot of a tweet from another person that read, "If you're in D.C. on January 5th, STAY HOME! The domestic terrorists (Boogaloos, Prod Boys, etc.) are planning to break into federal buildings, cause violence against law enforcement, burn down buildings, and even try to shoot up federal employees and lawmakers. STAY HOME!!!!!!!!"

In response to the shared screenshot, Reifschneider apparently wrote, "Lmfaooo, What a l[o]ser," and another user responded "Real Trump supporters are looking to arrest traitors ... not attack buildings lol," according to court papers.

The papers allege that Reifschneider responded to that comment, saying, "Exactly. We arent antifa and blm. We have an actual mission."

Additionally, the DOJ contends that she discussed planning to provide that same person with weapons — including a stun gun and pepper spray — to transport to Washington DC. 

The court papers also claim that Reifschneider was depicted in open-source video footage from Jan. 6, 2021 while she was on the Upper West Terrace yelling obscenities at police. She then left the area and joined a group of rioters on the east side of the Capitol building where media members had set up. 

The documents state that the media was behind bike racks, which separated them from the crowd. An open-source video from this location allegedly shows as Reifschneider can be seen yelling at members. 

After the bike racks get knocked over and removed by the crowd, she can then allegedly be seen climbing over a small wall that also separated them from the media members. As they fled and their equipment was destroyed, Reifschneider can be seen cheering, shouting expletives and spitting in their direction, federal prosecutors allege. 

More video allegedly shows as she approaches, lifts and throws a helmet at another person before approaching a camera that was on the ground and stepping on it. She then picks up the camera before hurling it back onto the ground, the DOJ said. 

Court document also allege that a different open-source video shows the moments that Reifschneider celebrates, raising a middle finger and shouting "It's been four years I've been wanting to do this!" as well as another expletive. 

On that day, Reifschneider is also said to have texted another person, saying, "Time to show them who they should be afraid of. Curfew at 6. We will not comply."

The person responded the next morning, "So they beat the crap out of police?" to which Reifschneider responded, "I definitely saw one getting help. Limping. We (messed) them up worse than antifa and blm. Lmao," according to the court papers. 

The Department of Justice says that Reifschneider's alleged actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of Congress that had convened to ascertain and count electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election. 

It has been 38 months since Jan. 6, 2021 and investigators have arrested 1,358 in all 50 states as part of the massive and ongoing investigation.