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Joshua Lee Atwood, 31, of Burgettstown, was sentenced to 48 months in prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to using a weapon to assault police during the Capitol riot. Atwood admitted to throwing objects, including a baseball bat and a metal pole, at officers defending the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace Tunnel and spraying them with pepper spray, according to prosecutors.
Before his April 2024 arrest for the Capitol breach, Atwood was already wanted for a separate incident in Chester, WV.
Atwood attacked The Crazy Donkey restaurant owner, Jose Mocias-Onate, during an altercation on April 28, 2023, police said. Atwood allegedly demanded payment for handyman work and began arguing with Mocias-Onate in the kitchen. The confrontation escalated when Atwood stole cash from the register.
Mocias-Onate tried to stop him, leading to a physical altercation. Atwood reportedly drew a concealed knife and stabbed Mocias-Onate in the arm. He then grabbed a handgun that had fallen from his holster, fled the restaurant with the cash, and escaped before officers arrived, according to Chester police.
The victim, who was bleeding profusely, was treated at a trauma center in Pittsburgh and later discharged.
Police obtained arrest warrants for Atwood on charges of armed robbery and malicious assault. After weeks on the run, Atwood was arrested in May 2023 at a residence in Burgettstown by U.S. Marshals and local law enforcement.
Atwood’s sentencing for the Capitol riot and pending charges in West Virginia highlight a pattern of escalating violent behavior. He is awaiting extradition to West Virginia to face those charges.
The Crazy Donkey restaurant temporarily closed after the attack but has since reopened.
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