(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA)New details have emerged about Brian Cole Jr., the man accused by the DOJ and FBI of planting pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican National Committees on Jan. 5, 2021.
The now-detained suspect is a 30-year-old black man who lives in a $700,000 home in Woodridge, Va, about 20 to 25 miles from Washington, D.C., Headline USA can confirm.
According to neighbors and family, Cole is “autistic-like” and has an affinity for Chihuahuas and Crocs, as reported by the New York Post.
He reportedly mostly kept to himself and was regularly seen walking to and from a local 7-Eleven.
“He would wear shorts all winter long, no matter how cold it was, he would be outside in shorts, walking — and he would wear red Crocs,” a neighbor said. “We would always just comment, ‘Like, how is he in shorts? It’s 20 degrees out in his red Crocs, walking his dog all winter long?’”
The neighbor added that locals knew Cole as “the guy that walked the Chihuahua.”
Headline USA was able to identify the Instagram profile of Cole’s mother, Delicia, who on National Son Day, shared a smiling photo of Cole.
The photo shows him wearing sunglasses, a tie and a shirt.
Cole was arrested Thursday after a grand jury indicted him on bomb-related charges.
According to the DOJ, Cole was charged with transporting an explosive device in interstate commerce and attempted malicious destruction by means of an explosive.
Meanwhile, Cole’s grandmother, Loretta, dismissed the scathing accusations, telling the New York Post that Cole is “almost autistic-like,” without specifying what that meant.
“I don’t believe this at all. He’s not a terrorist,” she said. “He’s almost autistic-like because he doesn’t understand a lot of stuff.”
According to Loretta, Cole works as Brian Cole Bail Bonds, a family-run bail bons company based in Richmond, Va., about15 miles from Woodridge.
Delicia Cole is a real estate agent who works at Red Charm Properties in Lake Ridge, Virginia.
The family and neighbors paint a much rosier picture than the DOJ’s allegations of premeditation suggest.
Cole began purchasing bomb components as early as October 2019, according to an FBI affidavit released on X by journalist Catherine Herridge.
In November 2020, Cole accelerated the plot by buying equipment to construct the bombs he allegedly planned outside the DNC and RNC headquarters in January 2021.
His initial court appearance is set for Dec. 5, and he faces a combined maximum sentence of 30 years if convicted.
