Maryland Couple Charged With Disorderly Conduct In Jan. 6 Capitol Riot

EMMITSBURG, Md. (WJZ) — An Emmitsburg, Md. couple was arrested on Monday and charged with violent entry or disorderly conduct and knowingly entering restricted buildings or grounds for their alleged participation in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, the U.S. Attorney for Washington D.C. said.

According to an FBI investigation, Christopher Price and Cynthia Ballenger allegedly arrived at the Capitol grounds around 2:44 p.m., based on mobile tracking date linked to Ballenger’s Gmail account. Surveillance footage allegedly shows Price and Ballenger entering through the Senate Carriage Door about 3:22 p.m. and going back outside a short time later.

Additional footage allegedly shows the couple standing near a low wall outside the Capitol–an area that remains restricted–for nearly a half hour.

The FBI interviewed an unnamed friend who texted with Price on the day of the riot.

Price allegedly told his friend “In” around 3:24 p.m., and said there was “Broken glass everywhere” and they were “Climbing through the window.”

Price allegedly sent a photo of a crowd of people inside the Capitol and said, “Worth fighting for Trump.”

At 3:48 p.m., Price allegedly sent a picture of he and Ballenger outside the Capitol and said, “We’re on our way back Cynthia freezing.”

Both Price and Ballenger were interviewed by the FBI in June, according to a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Ballenger told investigators she and her husband were “on the low-end of the spectrum” among the categories of people at the Capitol on Jan. 6, while Price said that if, “hypothetically,” they were there, they were not among the people causing problems, according to the complaint.

The couple was arrested on Aug. 9, federal prosecutors said.