A conservative social media influencer, Isabella Maria DeLuca, has been charged with storming the U.S. Capitol and passing a stolen table out of a broken window, enabling other rioters to use it as a weapon against law enforcement officers. Court records unsealed on Monday revealed the details of DeLuca’s alleged involvement in the January 6th attack.
DeLuca, 24, was arrested on Friday in Irvine, California, on misdemeanor charges, including theft of government property, disorderly conduct, and entering a restricted area. It remains unclear why DeLuca, who has a New York state address according to the Department of Justice, was apprehended in Orange County.
With over 333,000 followers on X, formerly known as Twitter, DeLuca is a former congressional intern who worked as a media associate for The Gold Institute for International Strategy. Her profile on the institute’s website states that she served as an ambassador for the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA. However, following the revelation of DeLuca’s criminal charges, The Gold Institute for International Strategy announced the termination of their relationship with her.
DeLuca had also interned for former U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin of New York and Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, both Republicans who supported former President Donald Trump. At the time of reporting, DeLuca has not responded to requests for comment, and no attorney is listed in online court records as representing her.
Videos captured during the January 6th riot show DeLuca entering a suite of conference rooms inside the Capitol through a broken window on the Lower West Terrace. She was seen passing a table out of the window before climbing back outside through the same window. An FBI agent’s affidavit noted that a table thrown at police by another rioter resembled the one DeLuca had passed out the window.
In the aftermath of the attack, DeLuca continued to post about the riot on social media. When questioned by an Instagram user about her support for breaking into the Capitol, she responded by citing the constitution, stating, “According to the constitution, it’s our house.” She later expressed “mixed feelings” about being at the Capitol on January 6th, claiming that people went there to voice their grievances due to the belief that the election had been stolen.
During an FBI interview conducted approximately two weeks after the Capitol attack, DeLuca denied entering the building on January 6th, according to the agent’s affidavit.
It is worth noting that more than 1,300 individuals have been charged with Capitol riot-related crimes, with over 800 of them already sentenced. Approximately two-thirds of those sentenced have received prison terms ranging from a few days to 22 years.
