A rioter who took part in the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol has been sentenced to jail time after defending herself by claiming "dark energy forces" compelled her to storm the Capitol.
Mariposa Castro, who is also known as Imelda Acosta, claimed in court she didn't mean to be involved in the insurrection and wishes she had done things differently. Her attorney Elita Amato called her involvement a mistake.
District Judge Reggie B. Walton had a different take on her involvement, and sentenced her to 45 days in prison and a $5000 fine for her involvement in the coup attempt.
Throughout the proceedings, Castro and her attorney cast her actions as an unintentional and unfortunate mistake. A tearful Castro told Judge Walton:
"I don't glorify my actions. I got caught up on the energy, and if I could go back and change things over, I definitely would have brought more peace."
Amato took a similar tack, saying her client "got caught up in everything" and characterized her actions as a huge mistake.
"She should have left. She had a lapse of judgement, she really did."
Castro added that "dark energy forces" seemed to have "sucked" her into the Capitol. Shockingly, that defense didn't work on Judge Walton, who noted Castro "seemed to be all in" on her storming of the Capitol in the videos she made of herself doing so.
Those videos showed Castro not only celebrating her actions, but characterizing the insurrection as a war and imploring others to join.
"War just started. It’s just the beginning. As Trump says, ‘the best is yet to come..."
"... I’m literally by myself. They told me not to be on my own, to find a crowd. And I’m by myself. That just shows how brave I am."
"If I can do this, you guys can do this."
Castro did not specify whether "dark forces" also compelled her to film her attempt at overthrowing the government.
On Twitter, Castro engendered very little sympathy.
Castro is just the latest to be charged of some 740 people arrested so far for their involvement in the January 6 coup attempt. It is believed more than 2,500 people in total committed chargeable offenses during the riots.
@GregAbbott_TX/X
