John Emanuel Banuelos is an insurrectionist. He brought a gun to the insurrection and fired it twice inside the Capitol. He was still pardoned in the mass pardon of January 6 participants, even the violent ones. He was arrested for the stabbing and killing of a man in 2021, though the DA decided he acted in self-defense and did not charge him. However, during interrogation for that offense, he bragged to detectives about being at the Insurrection, even pointing himself out on video. When indicted for that he was making light, telling the judge Trump would win the election and pardon him. Well, that happened. However, his DNA was collected and it matched a 2018 rape case, leading to his most recent indictment for eight counts of sexual assault and one count of kidnapping. These crimes happened in Utah, though he has since moved to Illinois.
According to the charges, the victim was newly houseless. “The victim recounted that the day she met the defendant was the first day she had experienced homelessness, and she was scared and vulnerable. She reported that she accepted the defendant’s offer of a house party because she knew it would provide her with a place to be. What she didn’t realize at the time was the defendant’s deception. The defendant lured the victim to his home, drugged her, and then sexually assaulted her for over 12 hours.”
- KSL.com: Utah man charged in Jan. 6 riot and detained in Salt Lake stabbing death faces new charges
- FOX13 Now: Man accused of firing a gun during Capitol riot is arrested on kidnapping and sexual assault charges
- XChange: Utah Case 251912416
November 11, 2025