Who is Jennifer Heinl? Pittsburgh woman seen with another man during Capitol riot, cop husband files for divorce
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA: A woman who was allegedly part of the January 6 riot at the US Capitol building is also facing separation from her police detective husband. Jennifer Heinl’s husband, who is a Pittsburgh area police detective and also a member of an FBI task force, has reportedly filed for a divorce after she was photographed with another man participating in the riots that resulted in the death of five people.
Jennifer Heinl was arrested on Thursday, March 18, and has been pressed with several federal crimes, including violent entry and disorderly conduct. Jennifer is the wife of Michael Heinl — who works with the Shaler Township Police Department as a detective and also leads the hostage negotiation unit for the SWAT team in North Hills. The charges against the woman were brought after federal investigators alleged that surveillance footage showed her talking to another man, Kenneth Grayson, inside the Capitol building on January 6 — the day when Congress met to certify the winning of Joe Biden. It has also been said that Jennifer was in contact with Grayson, a resident of nearby Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, since the start of November via Facebook. Their conversations were reportedly mostly related to the plans to travel to Washington, DC, and regarding hotel accommodations and rental vehicles.
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In late January, Jennifer denied being inside the Capitol during riots and said she was not in contact with Grayson at the time but the arrest affidavit containing a photo from the FBI that showed her and Grayson in the capital. While she was wearing a camo-colored Trump hat, the man was donning a QAnon sweater and an American flag-themed balaclava around his face. Jennifer also said to the investigators that she and Grayson did not stay at the same hotel and they met each other at the Ellipse near the White House.
The photo alleging the presence of Jennifer at the riot site was obtained after Grayson’s i-pad was searched by the investigators. The charges were brought against him in late January in Pittsburgh federal court for knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building; disorderly conduct impeding government business; disruptive conduct in the Capitol building; parading, demonstrating, or picketing in the Capitol; and obstructing an official proceeding.
An FBI affidavit stated that Grayson went to Facebook live on January 6 showing him and others inside the Capitol building. He was reportedly turned in to the police by Facebook users who saw his video and identified him.
As per reports, Jennifer is a web and graphic designer for a distributor of nuts in Western Pennsylvania. Shaler Police Chief Sean Frank claimed that Michael Heinl was not in favor of his wife going to Washington on January 6. “His wife was a part of that situation. He didn’t condone it. He didn’t ask her to go there. He wasn’t there. He was here working,” Frank said. He added, “She’s an adult. And I don’t think he had any part in her going there.”
Speaking about Michael, the police chief stated, “He’s a very thorough, hardworking detective. He’s got some advanced experience and training in some different areas of investigation. He’s received numerous awards throughout his career for the work on different cases that he’s been involved in. He’s been here 30 years, he’s a dedicated employee and he’s an excellent employee here.”
While Jennifer Heinl’s lawyer Marty Dietz defended her as he told WPXI-TV, “To make it clear, I’ve known Jennie Heinl a long time and she’s not a criminal. She’s deeply embarrassed. If somebody would ask me, ‘Would Jennie Heinl ever be involved in something like this?’ years ago, I’d have said impossible, never. But, she has some political beliefs. She’s conservative and she believed that she was supporting the president. There’s nothing we can do. They’re right. They’re right. She was inside the US Capitol. They’re right. The question is — where does this fall? I mean, you know we have statutes and was it a violent entry? Was she violent? Was she parading? She was demonstrating.”
Currently, Jennifer Heinl is out of jail on a $10,000 unsecured bond. A preliminary hearing on her case will take place on Wednesday, March 24, in Pittsburgh federal court.