Isabella Maria DeLuca, 24, is simply a social media influencer primitively from Setauket, NY, who went to the Capitol successful Washington DC connected Jan. 6, 2021.
She attended President Trump’s rally and past followed the assemblage into the Capitol that fateful day. She says she stayed lone 2 minutes earlier deciding to permission arsenic she started to consciousness uncomfortable.
However, those 2 minutes turned retired to beryllium life-changing, and not successful a bully way. Three years aboriginal she was arrested connected national misdemeanor charges — including theft of authorities property, disorderly conduct, and entering a restricted area — successful March 2024.
DeLuca, who has a important societal media pursuing was accused of storming the Capitol and helping walk a stolen array retired a breached model during the ordeal, according to tribunal records.
The table, which was taken from a Senate terrace room, was aboriginal utilized to onslaught instrumentality enforcement, the feds alleged. DeLuca, on with the much than 1,500 Capitol Hill rioters, were pardoned by President Trump past week.
Here she tells The Post’s Dana Kennedy she is grateful, but the trauma remains.
If you tin imagine, I’m each of 5’1″ and 122 pounds but the FBI sent 7 equipped agents to apprehension maine — and they enactment maine successful shackles and handcuffs.
I had nary transgression grounds and determination are existent criminals who are not met with that benignant of force. It was astir apt the worst time of my life. Even though I ever thought I mightiness beryllium arrested, it was inactive a horrible daze erstwhile it happened.
I was lone 21 erstwhile I went down to the Capitol. I was conscionable going to conscionable friends astatine the Trump rally. We had nary plans beyond that and we surely ne'er had immoderate thought however the time was going to unfold.
I was successful a vacant gathering country [in the Capitol] for each of 2 minutes. It looked similar it was each turning into a atrocious concern truthful we each benignant of near astatine the aforesaid time. I deliberation determination were [outside] agitators there.
It was astatine the constituent wherever they [the rioters] were each taking furniture. I lone ever touched the array that the authorities said aboriginal I had passed retired the window. I didn’t walk it to anyone. At that moment, I conscionable touched it. That was it. Their grounds is of maine touching that table, thing more.
I figured the constabulary knew I was determination due to the fact that I posted a video of myself extracurricular the Capitol connected societal media and it was up for a fewer days. I’m beauteous definite 1 of my followers reported maine to the FBI.
So I ever had successful the backmost of my caput that I mightiness beryllium arrested, adjacent aft each this time. But the strangest happening was, I was surviving successful DC the full clip and they didn’t apprehension maine there.
Last March I went to Orange County, California, for a pro-life lawsuit and stayed with a person successful Irvine. It was weird due to the fact that I had conscionable flown successful the time before. I was walking downstairs from my friend’s flat to get a java that greeting erstwhile I was approached by FBI agents saying “We person a warrant for your arrest.”
It was precise creepy because… however did they cognize I was there? I didn’t station astir going to California.
I was frightened astatine archetypal but tried to support my composure. One of the FBI agents turned to maine and said, “You don’t look tense astatine all?” I thought that was a weird comment.
They enactment maine successful a jailhouse compartment successful Orange County and enactment maine successful shackles and handcuffs erstwhile I went successful beforehand of the judge. I had this infinitesimal successful the jailhouse compartment erstwhile I broke down and I was re-shackled and handcuffed. But due to the fact that I don’t person a transgression history, I was allowed to spell that time if I handed successful my passport and agreed not to question domestically without alerting them. The different information was that I couldn’t spell to the Capitol.
It didn’t marque a batch of consciousness due to the fact that evidently the FBI had known astir maine for a agelong clip and aft January 6th. I worked astatine 2 legislature internships and had unrestricted entree to the Capitol.
When I got backmost home, I saw the FBI had raided my apartment. My spot was a mess. My drawers were opened and my covering books and paintings were strewn each implicit the floor. They near papers connected my room antagonistic saying what they had taken — similar my 2 different phones and different idiosyncratic items.
It was truthful humiliating and felt similar specified a violation.
I lived with specified anxiousness aft that — like, erstwhile are they going to travel back? I couldn’t slumber for weeks aft my arrest. I thought they mightiness travel successful portion I was sleeping. It was precise hard to unrecorded a mean beingness with this hanging implicit me.
When your ain authorities labels you arsenic a thief, it’s hard to travel backmost from that. I person to person different radical that I americium not this person.
On November 6, the time earlier the election, the FBI came to maine with a plea deal. They wanted maine to plead blameworthy to theft of authorities spot and to wage a $100,000 fine. I felt sick to my tummy due to the fact that it was truthful adjacent to the predetermination and I didn’t cognize which mode things would go. My lawyer knew to inquire for other time.
It was a pugnacious situation. I had 2 options: Either plead blameworthy to what I didn’t bash oregon look a proceedings successful the District of Columbia wherever 94% of radical voted for Kamala and they would beryllium the jury.
I had a May 25, 2025 proceedings date. If Trump hadn’t won, I would person faced that jury.
I had conscionable turned 24 and was trying to get my beingness started. It was a immense setback.
My archetypal absorption erstwhile I heard President Trump had pardoned america was tears of joy. I was retired to meal with friends. I felt vindicated.
I’m presently jobless. I’d been moving astatine Gold Institute for International Strategy but they fto maine spell aft I was arrested. I monetize my societal media but americium inactive hoping to get different existent job.
What happened to maine is inactive a achromatic mark. There’s nary escaping it. But I’m determined to rebuild my life. I’m acrophobic I would beryllium successful jailhouse if Kamala won, truthful I americium truthful relieved she didn’t.
I’m assured it volition each enactment out.
And you cognize what? I don’t regret it.