FBI: Helmetta man wanted for Capitol riot turns himself in following 3-day manhunt
Gregory Yetman turned himself in on Friday, ending a three-day manhunt, the FBI says.
A Middlesex County man wanted by the FBI for his alleged involvement in the riot at the United States Capitol has turned himself in after a three-day manhunt.
Gregory Yetman, 47, was the subject of an intense search in his hometown of Helmetta. He is now under arrest and in FBI custody.
Officials say Yetman turned himself in at the nearby Monroe Township Police Department, about 3 miles away from his home on Main Street in Helmetta. News 12 was told he was unarmed at the time he turned himself in, although it is not clear where he has been since getting away from police three days ago.
Yetman’s Helmetta home was raided by FBI agents on Wednesday around 8 a.m. However, he got away on foot and ran from the police until he turned himself in.
Yetman’s neighbors tell News 12 they are relieved to hear he’s finally in custody. Paola Arias lives directly across the street from the Yetman home. She has been keeping her children inside since seeing FBI agents take over the property. She was extremely relieved when News 12 told her he was in custody.
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She says the last three days have been overwhelming.
“I was afraid I was going to go in the backyard and find him in one of my chicken coops or something like that it was scary,” Arias says. “Very overwhelming, like I said, it’s a small town. We don’t see stuff like this in a small town like this, we don’t expect things like this to happen in this town.”
Helmetta Mayor Chris Slavic says that his residents are appreciative of all the work law enforcement is doing to protect them.
“I do think there is a relief I see a lot of positive comments now on social media and people are very appreciative,” says Slavic. “The FBI was quite confident that he remained local. So it was refreshing this morning to receive a report that he did turn himself into the Monroe Township Police Department.”
Yetman is a former New Jersey National Guardsman who is wanted on federal charges for taking part in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot. Photos were taken of him at the Capitol that day and in one of those he can be seen allegedly using a large canister of pepper spray.
He is facing charges that include assaulting, resisting or impeding capitol police officers. He’s also accused of entering and remaining in a restricted building and acts of physical violence in the Capitol.
Yetman will appear in court in Washington D.C. to face the federal charges.
