Man charged for touching woman’s hair on Metro arrested again outside court

A man accused of touching a woman’s hair on a Metro train was arraigned in Arlington County court Monday, then arrested again moments after his hearing.

Metro Transit Police arrested 28-year-old Bryan Betancur in the courthouse parking lot on a warrant out of D.C.

Betancur went to court facing a misdemeanor assault and battery charge for allegedly touching a woman’s hair on a Metro train, according to court documents. He allegedly livestreamed the encounter on X.

When Betancur returned to the parking lot after a trial date was set, officers who identified themselves as Metro Transit Police arrested him again before he could make it to his car.

Betancur faces a charge of simple assault in the District – part of an ongoing investigation in a series of incidents on Metro that were recorded and posted online.

Betancur was a Jan. 6 Capitol rioter 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 “lone wolf gunman.”

President Donald Trump later pardoned Betancur for his Jan. 6-related convictions.

Betancur is due back in court in Arlington County May 8. He faces up to 1 year in jail.

No word yet on when he’ll appear in D.C. court.