Walis tambo-wielding man arrested over involvement in US Capitol riot
MANILA, Philippines — A man who was spotted carrying a walis tambo (soft broom) during the January 6 riot of Trump supporters at the United States Capitol in Washington, DC was arrested Friday in Norfolk, Virginia.
Federal Bureau of Investigation agents said they arrested Kene Brian Lazo over charges related to the insurrection that left five dead.
An FBI special agent said they were assigned to investigate a tip about a Facebook user named “Fam Council,” which posted photos of the January 6 riot instigated by then US President Donald Trump himself.
The agent was then able to identify Lazo through photos of the helmet he wore during the riot which carried the name of his company, Rodbustars.
The agent said that during the time of the Capitol riot, the phone number associated with Rodbustars connected to a cell site “consistent with providing service to a geographic area inside the Capitol building.”
‘Swept the floor literally’
The agent added that Facebook records obtained through a search warrant revealed that Lazo had been posting about going to the Capitol and bringing a “boi boi” to represent Asians.
“Based on our investigation, I believe the ‘boi boi’ refers to a walis tambo broom, commonly used in the Philippines,” the agent said in the affidavit.
Lazo later posted “I took a boi boi to the Capitol and swept the floor literally,” according to the agent’s affidavit.
A day before the riot, Lazo also posted multiple photos of himself in the outfit he planned to wear. A user suggested that he should wear a blade in his boot, but Lazo suggested that it would be illegal and would just carry pepper spray and a baton.
“If shit hits the fan, I will get some dead guys gear and guns if it comes down to it,” he said, according to the agent.
Lazo was just one of the rioters who besieged the US Capitol in an attempt to thwart US lawmakers from certifying the election victory of US President Joe Biden.
Trump had falsely claimed numerous times that the election was stolen from him.
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