Convicted Metro hair toucher arrested at court hearing
A man convicted of touching a woman’s hair on a Metro train is back in jail.
Bryan Betancur, 28, was convicted of assault in D.C. for touching a woman’s hair on a train earlier this year. He served his time in D.C. and was released this week, but he still has a pending assault and battery case in Arlington County for similar allegations on a different train.
Betancur showed up to court Thursday to resume that matter. He asked the judge to dismiss the warrant for his arrest. The judge denied it, and Betancur was arrested inside the courtroom.
Betancur is accused of posting videos that show him touching women’s hair on Metro trains.
For actions shown in a video from March 1, he was charged with assault and battery in Arlington County. After his arraignment earlier this year, he was released on bond and immediately arrested again, right in the courthouse parking lot.
That arrest was because of what’s shown in another video. Betancur recorded himself touching another woman’s hair on a train in D.C. on March 2.
He was convicted of assault and sentenced to 180 days in jail in D.C., a sentence he recently completed.
Betancur was a Jan. 6 Capitol rioter who was convicted and jailed on federal charges for his participation. The FBI said Betancur called himself a white supremacist and talked about wanting to be a quote “lone wolf gunman.” He was ultimately pardoned for his Jan. 6-related convictions by President Donald Trump.
The judge informed Betancur on Thursday he can hire an attorney or be appointed counsel and the earliest he might have a bond hearing would be Friday.
