A man from Pennsylvania, Joshua Atwood, who was recently sentenced for his violent actions during the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, is now facing fresh legal trouble. This time, it’s for allegedly pulling a knife on a restaurant owner in Chester, West Virginia, and stabbing him during an argument over unpaid work.
Atwood, 30, was sentenced on December 20 to four years in prison for attacking police officers during the Capitol riots. Prosecutors described him as one of the rioters at the front lines, repeatedly using makeshift weapons—like metal and wooden poles—to assault officers guarding the Capitol. Now, he faces new charges for a violent incident at the Crazy Donkey Restaurant.
The trouble began in April 2023, when Atwood got into a heated argument with Jose Mocias-Onate, the restaurant’s owner. Atwood reportedly claimed he was owed money for handyman work he had done. The disagreement escalated in the kitchen of the Mexican restaurant, located just a few blocks from a police station. According to authorities, Atwood tried to steal cash from the register and attempted to leave, but Mocias-Onate confronted him. That’s when Atwood allegedly pulled a knife and stabbed Mocias-Onate in the arm.
Mocias-Onate was rushed to the hospital and later transferred to a trauma center in Pittsburgh. Thankfully, he made a full recovery, but the restaurant had to close temporarily before reopening. Meanwhile, Atwood was tracked down by U.S. Marshals in Hanover Township, Pennsylvania, on May 23, 2023, and charged with armed robbery and malicious assault.
Atwood’s violent streak was already well-documented. During the January 6 Capitol attack, prosecutors said he aggressively led confrontations at a location known as “the Tunnel,” where some of the most intense clashes between rioters and police took place. Armed with whatever he could find—a baseball bat, a wooden pole, even random objects like bottles—Atwood relentlessly attacked officers, taunting and insulting them as he went.
In one instance, Atwood struck officers with a metal pole, using such force that it hit their helmets and face shields. According to court filings, he screamed profanities at the officers, accusing them of betraying their country. Atwood’s actions didn’t stop there. Just a month after the Capitol attack, he was arrested again in Hanover for disorderly conduct after arguing with police and fighting with a tow-truck driver during a traffic crash investigation. Shockingly, he made offensive remarks during the incident, comparing police actions to those of people in Nazi concentration camps.
Atwood was first identified as a January 6 rioter after someone tipped off law enforcement, recognizing him from a 2011 mugshot. A distinct scar on his forehead confirmed his identity. He lived in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, with his fiancée and three children before his arrest.
Now, as Atwood sits in prison for his role in the Capitol riots, he faces even more time behind bars as he awaits extradition to West Virginia to answer for his alleged crimes at the Crazy Donkey Restaurant.
