FBI search continues for January 6 suspect in New Jersey

A manhunt by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is underway in Helmetta, New Jersey for a man named Gregory Yetman, who is wanted in relation to the attack on the US Capitol almost three years ago.

The manhunt began in the Middlesex County town of Helmetta after law enforcement zeroed in on a residence on Main Street, causing the road to be blocked for several hours.

"It was scary and I'm still, you can see, I'm on edge," one neighbour said.

A man, who asked not to be identified, said the commotion began around 6:30am on Wednesday, CBS News reported.

"I look outside, there's two guys here with assault rifles. Two over there. Two over there. They were all over the place. I walked outside a little bit. I asked the officer. He said go inside," the neighbour said.

"We didn't really know what's going on and it's scary. What's really scary is when it's in your own backyard."

According to police, Yetman escaped when the FBI tried to carry out a warrant. He escaped by jumping a fence and entering a densely wooded area, which they searched throughout the day.

"It was scary at first to know the town was on lockdown and we didn't know why," resident Ginny Werner said.

"It's just very unusual for this town. It's a very safe town. Not much ever goes on, so it has been a little overwhelming," another resident, Ken Leisentritt said.

A command post was set up at the Helmetta Community Center. Helmetta Mayor Chris Slavicek said the FBI is determined to find Yetman.

"If you know something, see something, say something, and certainly air on the side of caution. Most importantly, the safety of our community is paramount and law enforcement agencies have reassured me that we are in a safe place right now," Slavicek said.

Armed FBI agents in camo, members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and search dogs remained in front of Yetman's home Wednesday night as the New Jersey National Guard confirmed that Yetman served in the Army National Guard for about 12 years until March 2022.

FBI agents could be seen speaking with people inside Yetman's house.

One of Yetman's neighbours, Frank Sanford, had the FBI at his door in the morning, asking if he and his wife knew anything.

"It was a little crazy ... My wife called me ... said, 'I don't know what's going on, SWAT vehicle and this vehicle and dogs,'" he said.

The mayor of Helmetta, a town less than a square mile long and doesn't even have a traffic light, told the town's approximately 3,200 residents to "keep their doors locked and stay vigilant."

"It's an uneasy feeling. Our motto is 'small town, big heart' here. We're kind of like 'Cheers' where everybody knows your name, so, you know, this hits home," he said.

Moreover, the FBI believes there's no threat to the community as the search continues into Thursday.

More than 780 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot and over 280 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanours.