Western NY man arrested after attending riot at US Capitol

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (AP) — A western New York man who told a Buffalo TV station he tried to light media equipment on fire as a “symbolic gesture” outside the U.S. Capitol last week was arrested by the FBI on Wednesday.

Pete Harding was arrested at about 4 p.m. at a friend’s home in Elma, New York, one day after the FBI released a poster that linked him to the pro-Trump rally that turned into a breach of the Capitol on Jan. 6, WIVB-TV reported.

The FBI searched Harding’s home in Cheektowaga earlier in the day when he was not there.

Harding did not respond to emailed and telephone messages, nor did he respond to a Facebook message seeking comment before his arrest Wednesday.

He told the TV station last week that he did not mean to be a threat when igniting the equipment.

His attorney, Jason DiPasquale, told the TV station that the charges his client faces are unclear. Harding is expected to appear in federal court in Buffalo on Thursday.

“Not only was he there with the intent to protest peacefully, he entered the building peacefully under the permission of Capitol Police who let protestors in,” DiPasquale said.

The day after the violence, Harding, who frequently posts videos on Facebook, was on the site for more than an hour, during which he admitted being inside the Capitol, “walking right past Capitol police,” he said.

“If we can take the Capitol building, there is nothing we can’t accomplish,” he said.

Panorama Hispano is the regional news and information newspaper for Hispanic and other diverse communities.

US Hispanics are now the largest ethnic minority in the United States numbering 54.2 million as of July 2014. Serving: Buffalo, Rochester, Fredonia, Niagara Falls, NY and Erie, PA. Outside our Market area: Visit our affiliate at: http://www.impremedia.com/

Contact us: Contact@PanoramaHispanoNews.com

Featured News

Apr 27, 2026
Charting the surge in Latino or Hispanic-owned businesses in the US

Latino or Hispanic business owners capitalized on economic opportunity between 2017 and 2024, creating thousands of firms that benefited the […]

Read More
Apr 27, 2026
Marathon milestone shattered: Sabastian Sawe breaks the fabled 2-hour barrier by 30 seconds

LONDON (AP) — A pair of African distance runners took down what was once among the most unthinkable records in […]

Read More
Apr 27, 2026
‘Michael’ moonwalks to $97 million opening, shattering record for music biopics

By: Jake Cole NEW YORK (AP) — “Michael,” the big-budget Michael Jackson spectacle, shrugged off bad reviews and a troubled […]

Read More

popular categories

Featured (5,518)
Mundo Latino (2,115)
Locales / Regional (1,273)
Buffalo (2,145)
Dunkirk (1,695)
Rochester (1,661)
PA (1,250)
Negocios / Tecnología (1,091)
Tecnología y Science (220)
Salud (571)
Deportes (961)
Entretenimiento (814)
Extras (456)
Movies (232)
Viajes, Vida y Estilo (726)
Copyright © 2026 Panorama Hispano News. All Rights Reserved.
crossmenuchevron-downmenu-circlecross-circle
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram