Trump headquarters burglary suspect captured in California

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Video footage of what appears to be Kessler inside the Trump campaign headquarters in Ashburn on Aug. 11. Courtesy of WJLA.

After fourth months, the man thought to have broken into the Trump campaign headquarters in Ashburn on Aug. 11 has been arrested in California, according to a press release by the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.

Toby Shane Kessler, 39, was arrested in California on unrelated charges this week. The office, in the 20000 block of Ashbrook Place, was leased by the Trump campaign and also serves as the headquarters of the Virginia 10th District Republican Committee.

The burglary occurred at approximately 8:11 p.m. and was captured by surveillance video inside the office. The LCSO’s investigation determined that Mr. Kessler forced entry into a back door of the location and spent a brief period of time inside before leaving. He appears to have left nothing behind, and it is still unclear what, if anything, he took with him. The investigation is ongoing.

The Sheriff’s Office is waiting to see how California will handle its charges as well as the pending charges in Virginia. Officials say Kessler has lived in the D.C. area since 2018, but has no fixed address and has a criminal background.

We will continue to update as more information becomes available.

Audrey Carpenter is the Northern Virginia Bureau Chief for All Virginia News. She can be reached at: audreycarpenter@allvirginia.news

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