DC Metro ‘Hair Stroker’ Found Not Guilty In Arlington

ARLINGTON, VA — Bryan Betancur, previously convicted of assault for filming himself stroking a woman's hair on Metro and posting the video on social media, was found not guilty Tuesday in a similar case in Arlington.

Betancur remains in custody in Virginia pending transfer to Washington, D.C., where he faces trial on a stalking charge.

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He appeared in Arlington General District Court on an assault and battery charge related to an alleged March 1 incident at the Clarendon Metro station. He was found not guilty of that charge and a related failure to appear charge.

"We respect the Court's verdict in the case involving Bryan Betancur," Arlington County Commonwealth's Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti told ABC7 News in a statement. "As in every criminal case, the Commonwealth bears the burden of proving each and every element of each charge beyond a reasonable doubt."

Betancur previously served a 180-day sentence for assault in Washington, D.C., after he livestreamed himself stroking a woman's hair on Metro. The woman told the judge she was unaware of his actions until a colleague showed her the video three days later. She said the incident changed how she felt about being in public.

"I think about this video every single day. I think about this video every time I get on the Metro, which is twice every single day," she testified. "It was very upsetting and unsettling to see someone had touched me and posted about it on the internet without my consent."

Betancur was initially granted bond in the D.C. case, but it was revoked after he was charged with stalking. A D.C. judge issued a bench warrant for failure to appear that serves as a detainer, keeping him in custody pending his transfer.

Betancur was previously arrested for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on U.S. Capitol grounds. He pleaded guilty but was later pardoned by President Donald Trump.

According to FBI affidavits, Betancur told investigators he belonged to several white supremacist groups and aspired to be a "lone wolf killer."