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Pardoned Jan. 6 Defendant Re-Arrested Moments After Arlington Arraignment in Metro Hair-Touching Probe

Metro Transit Police are seeking public tips to connect viral videos with reported incidents on Washington-area trains.

Overview

  • Bryan Betancur, 28, was arraigned in Arlington, Va., on an assault and battery charge tied to an alleged incident on a Silver Line train serving Clarendon, and he pleaded not guilty.
  • Moments after posting bond and leaving court, he was taken into custody on an outstanding Washington, D.C., warrant linked to a separate alleged assault on a Red Line train near NoMa–Gallaudet on Feb. 28.
  • Investigators are reviewing viral clips that show a man touching women’s hair without consent, and police have not said whether every video corresponds to a specific charge.
  • Betancur was among roughly 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants pardoned by President Trump, and federal filings have described him as a self-professed white supremacist.
  • His record includes a 2019 fourth-degree burglary conviction and prior probation violations, and he was previously documented as wearing an ankle monitor during Jan. 6.