The family of Brian Cole, the Virginia man charged with placing pipe bombs near Capitol Hill on January 5, 2021, says he is not the politically driven extremist federal investigators claim him to be. Instead, they describe a shy, developmentally delayed “computer kid” who avoids politics entirely and has spent most of his adult life in a basement bedroom grieving a lost pet.

Cole, 30, was arrested Thursday after FBI tactical teams surrounded his family’s Woodbridge home, ending a years-long national search for the still-unidentified pipe bomb suspect. Prosecutors allege he built improvised explosive devices and left them outside both the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee headquarters the night before the Capitol riot. The bombs never detonated.

Federal sources claim Cole told interrogators he supported former President Donald Trump and leaned toward anarchist ideas. His grandmother, Loretta, says that portrayal is completely false.

“He doesn’t like either political party,” she said. “He doesn’t vote. He doesn’t argue about politics. He’s just not involved in any of that.”

According to his grandmother, Cole is “borderline autistic” and functions emotionally and socially far below his age. She says he has always needed structure, avoids social interaction, and prefers spending time with computers or, until recently, his chihuahua that died earlier this year.

“He’s thirty, but mentally he’s still a teenager,” she said. “He keeps to himself. He doesn’t have friends. He’s never had a girlfriend. He just stays downstairs and works on his computer.”

Cole worked a simple data-entry role at the family’s bail bonds office. His grandmother said he handled basic phone duties and clerical tasks because the family wanted him to have routine and responsibility.

“Anything complicated would overwhelm him,” she added. “He’s quiet and polite. That’s why this is such a shock.”

Loretta said she had no warning that federal agents were about to accuse her grandson of collecting bomb components, assembling devices inside the home, and attempting an attack on political headquarters.

“We’re terrified,” she said. “The FBI says they have evidence, but we don’t believe he would plan anything like this.”

She says Cole appeared at work as normal the day before the arrest, showing no signs of distress, agitation, or unusual behavior.

When Cole appeared for arraignment, the family was told that he was upset primarily because he believed he had disappointed them.

“That’s what broke my heart,” she said. “He’s worried he let us down.”

Two armored vehicles loaded with FBI SWAT agents arrived at the home Thursday morning, startling neighbors in the quiet Northern Virginia suburb. Agents also executed a search warrant at the family’s office.

Federal officials say the arrest stemmed from evidence they already possessed from 2021 and 2022, not from a new tip. The FBI recently released previously unseen video footage of the pipe bomb suspect walking near Capitol Hill on the night the devices were planted.

The bureau had offered a $500,000 reward for information, prompting renewed public attention to the case before Cole’s arrest.

Despite the charges, Cole’s grandmother insists the allegations don’t fit the young man she raised.

“If you met him, you’d never think he could do something like this,” she said. “And if he did, it wasn’t because he understood the consequences. He doesn’t think like that.”

The family says they are now focused on finding legal help and preparing for what they expect to be a long fight.

“We love him,” she said. “We’re going to stand by him. He’s not a monster. He’s not political. He’s just a lost kid who never really grew up.”