PHOENIX – His furry, horned headdress and tattoos made Jake Angeli easily recognizable in the crowd that took over the Capitol on Wednesday.
Also known as Jake Chansley, the 33-year-old has been a fixture at recent pro-Trump rallies in Arizona. He is a QAnon conspiracy theorist who is now a wanted man.
The DC Metropolitan Police made Angeli first on their list of “persons of interest” for crimes linked to the chaos in the Capitol. He is charged with unlawful entry and there is a $ 1,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.
When ABC15 investigator Melissa Blasius spoke to Angeli’s mother at her home in Phoenix on Thursday, she said she didn’t know where her son was, but added, “He’s fine.”
Martha Chansley made no apologies for her son’s actions.
“It takes a lot of courage to be a patriot, okay, and stand up for what you believe,” Martha said. “Not everyone wants to be the person beforehand.”
Several former classmates tell ABC15 that Jake attended Moon Valley High School and they sent yearbook photos. His mother says he is a veteran of the Navy.
“He’s probably one of the gentlest people I know,” said Martha. ‘He’s trying to get people to hear the message. Waking. Waking. Don’t we still live in the United States of America? “
Martha Chansley wondered if the police really wanted her son, why they didn’t arrest him while he was at the Capitol.