MILTON, Ga. — We’re seeing new video the FBI used to identify and charge a Milton man for his role in the Capitol Insurrection.
The video, taken by a reporter for the “New Yorker,” shows several men on the floor of the U.S. Senate on January 6th.
The FBI identifies 18-year-old Bruno Cua in the video that recorded him claiming the Vice President’s chair belonged to the people.
“They can steal an election, but we can’t sit in their chairs?” Cua is heard asking in the clip while recording a video on his cell phone.
[READ: Dawsonville man arrested, charged in attack on U.S. Capitol]
A criminal complaint released Monday charges Cua with five federal offenses, including assault on a police officer, because investigators said surveillance video showed him shoving a Capitol police officer as he and others forced their way into the Senate chambers.
Federal authorities announced Saturday they’d charged Cua and taken him into federal custody at his family’s home on Wood Road Friday.
The criminal complaint said the FBI received two tips about Cua on January 8th.
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“In the screenshot of an Instagram story from CUA’s Instagram account, CUA stated he ‘stormed’ the Capitol and, along with unidentified others, ‘physically fought our way in,’ the complaint said.
Petchenik heard from another neighbor Tuesday with concerns about Cua’s behaviors in the years leading up to his arrest.
“He just he had no regard for the law,” said the neighbor, who asked Petchenik to conceal her identity for her safety.
The neighbor recounted several run-ins she and others had with Cua, who she said was infamous for driving a large pickup truck around the neighborhood blowing a loud horn and flying a large Trump flag behind it.
“It was constant. I always knew he was in and I always knew and he was leaving. And he was always in and out. In and out in and out,” she said. “I didn’t want to be that neighbor that tells on everybody wants to be that neighbor, get into a fight. I was afraid he would retaliate. I was afraid he would go after my animals or my own kids. We set up surveillance cameras on our property because we knew he was capable of those things.”
Body cam footage Petchenik obtained through the Milton Police Department shows a December 8th incident outside of Birmingham Falls Elementary School after two women called to report him.
[READ: FBI Atlanta arrests 18-year-old on charges connected to U.S. Capitol riots]
“They were racing around the parking lot,” the woman told an officer. “They had some kind of air horn and they were blaring that.”
Cua claimed another officer had already given him permission to drive his truck in the lot because it was big enough to handle it.
“We got a new flag and we were doing a test run around here,” his father Joseph can be heard telling the officer. “The boys came to film and watch. They weren’t in danger.”
The officer ultimately cited Cua for violating the city’s noise ordinance because she said he’d been warned in October about the same issue.
In comments on the social media site “Parler” included in the FBI complaint, Cua posted “The President is Calling Us To Fight!”
Legal expert and local defense attorney, Esther Panitch, said Cua’s attorneys might try to mount a so-called “Trump defense,” by blaming the former President for his actions.
“It could be mitigating for someone like that, depending on how easily influenced the person is, and the lack of sophistication. Maybe he’ll say, ‘I took it as an order from the commander in chief, even though he wasn’t a member of the armed services,” said Panitch. “So it’s going to help the defendants more than it’s going to help President Trump in the impeachment.”
Outside the family’s home Monday, Petchenik found a lawn sign that said: “We Love You Bruno.”
A family friend told Petchenik neighbors had organized the sign and had also sent letters of character reference to court on Cua’s behalf. She sent Petchenik a copy of her letter, but asked that her name not be published.
“To Whom it May Concern:
After reading the article about the arrest of Bruno Cua yesterday that was extremely one-sided, I thought that it was appropriate to provide the Bruno Cua that I have known for over 10 years.
Bruno is a polite young man who always responds in the traditional Southern way using “Yes Ma’am” and “No Ma’am”.
His parents have raised him to respect the value of a dollar and hard work. This work ethic is evident when he has done many different jobs for me around our farm and has completed these tasks professionally and in the time frame promised. His excellent carpentry/building skills were put into watching my son struggle to build a tree house on our property (7 acres). He taught my son about solid foundations are key to safety. He spent hours helping my son create a safe tree house and taught my son that safety in building is top priority. To ignore the importance on a solid foundation is a very critical step in building and could create a dangerous structure for my son where he could get hurt.
Like many American Families that live in the Country (AG1 Zoning/Agriculture). We live on farms, most of the residents here moved because we wanted a lifestyle that took our children off the computer/and to invest and care for our property, to teach the value of hard work and to understand the importance and welfare of the animals (chickens, Horses, Cows, goats and pigs). It was very important that my children learn that instant gratification is creating a generation of kids that do not understand the value of a dollar, time, patience and hard work Bruno taught my son a lot about caring for the land and using the resources on our land to lessen our carbon footprint.
Like many American families living in the country, Bruno was introduced to hunting as a child by his father. They take annual hunting trips and Bruno is very familiar with the safety and dangers of guns. He would be someone I would look to to teach others the safety and the dangers of the power of a gun. I’ve seen him with a gun and he handles them with the upmost safety and respect. When my 11-year-old son got a BB gun for Christmas, 3 years ago. We had Bruno come over and and reiterate to him the need for safety with any firearm as my son respected his knowledge and listened to his peer rather than ignoring the warnings from his parents. Bruno also suggested my son take a safety class with a reliable outfit, such as Sharpshooters to take a class to properly use the BB Gun safely. My son never advanced to any other firearms as he felt he wanted to wait until he was older and more responsible. This was Bruno’s influence of the dangers. My son was not ready for that kind of responsibility.
I have always looked at Bruno and felt he represents the exuberance and of youth. I remember he found an injured baby squirrel and tried to nurse it back to health. He used a dropper to nourish the baby squirrel. After 2 months the squirrel died of an infection and I’ll never forget how upset Bruno was. He was inconsolable, he loved that squirrel and did his very best to save him. Bruno has a beautiful Christian Family. His family values are: Love, respect, honor and he would never ever hurt another human being EVER. I trust him implicitly, I would have no problems care of them in case of an emergency. I trust Bruno, If I had a family emergency and I needed someone to take care of my kids. I would call him right now. I know the “real Bruno” not the “Bruno” that is being portrayed as a “reckless, right wing ideology gun crazy kid. That is not Bruno.
I will stand up in Court if necessary under Oath and back my word the Bruno got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is scared, frightened and being treated like a criminal that he is not.
I feel that the safest place for Bruno is home with his family—he’s just an innocent young man and this could do irreparable damage to his fragile, naive, innocence. I feel his life is in serious danger if he is kept locked up like a criminal. He is NOT and I would Swear under Oath to that.”
Cox Media Group
