UCLA Student Christian Secor Sat In VP Chair During Capitol Riot: Prosecutors
COSTA MESA (CBSLA) - Federal officials on Tuesday made an arrest in Costa Mesa of a UCLA student accused in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
Around 6 a.m. Tuesday, officials swarmed a residential area to find Christian Secor, 22, who was arrested for his alleged role at the Capitol.
"I just woke up to the lights flashing. I thought something was going on there. I could hear them say come out, come out. I thought they were evacuating us," said neighbor Elsa Castillo.
More than a year ago, UCLA student activists said they started tracking Secor, who founded an ultra-right campus group called "America First Bruins."
In March 2020, fellow student Matthew Richard made a Twitter thread of what he said were Secor's hateful social media comments towards immigrants, students of color, and Jewish students.
"He had tweeted really intense proclamations of his Nazism and his Fascism and he had photos on his account and the Bruins Republican account of him at a gun range," said Richard Wednesday.
Secor is facing five different federal charges including assaulting, resisting or impeding officers, civil disorder and obstructing an official proceeding.
Federal prosecutors say tipsters provided images and videos of Secor inside the U.S. Capitol Building, both standing on the floor of the Senate chamber, and sitting in the Chair of the Presiding Officer - a seat typically occupied by either the Vice President of the United States and President of the Senate.
"I think that wrong is wrong and I think regardless of what political side you're on... wrong is wrong," one neighbor said. "When you're doing destructive things, I think both sides need to be held accountable."
Secor made his first appearance in federal court on Tuesday night and was ordered detained.
