D.C. pipe bomb suspect Brian Jerome Cole Jr. lived with his mother in a five-bedroom house outside Dale City and worked as a bail bondsman in a family business.

A federal affidavit unsealed Thursday reveals what finally led federal agents to identify the 30-year-old Cole as the shadowy figure captured on surveillance video placing pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican national headquarters buildings the night before the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Cole was arrested late Thursday morning at the family’s home on Manor House Court off Minnieville Road and charged with transporting an explosive device across state lines and attempted malicious destruction by means of fire and explosive materials, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release.

At a news conference Thursday afternoon, federal officials offered no details about a motive or whether the placement of the bombs, which never detonated, had any connection to the riot at the Capitol a day later, the Associated Press reported.

“Let me be clear: There was no new tip. There was no new witness. Just good diligent police work and prosecutorial work,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said at the briefing.

Cole’s relatives listed in public records did not return calls to the Associated Press Thursday afternoon.

“Hours after Cole was taken into custody, unmarked law enforcement vehicles lined the cul-de-sac where Cole’s home is while FBI agents helped shoo away onlookers,” the AP reported. “Authorities were seen entering the house and examining the trunk of a car nearby.”

According to the affidavit and court records, Cole, who is 5 feet 6 inches tall and wears glasses, lived with his mother in the five-bedroom, three-bath house valued at $611,000. He graduated from Hylton High School in 2013 and is listed in the affidavit as employed as a bail bondsman in Northern Virginia.

Cole’s father is president at Free U Bail Bond Inc. in Fairfax, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The crime

On Jan. 5, 2021, a shadowy figure was captured on surveillance video placing the pipe bombs near the offices of the Democratic and Republican national committees in D.C. The bombs were rendered safe before they could explode and no one was injured.

Earlier this year, the FBI offered a $500,000 reward for information that helps identify the person who placed pipe bombs at the offices of the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee on Jan. 5, 2021.

“In the years since, investigators have sought the public’s help in identifying a shadowy subject seen on surveillance camera even as they struggled to determine answers to basic questions, including the person’s gender and motive and whether the act had a clear connection to the riot at the Capitol a day later when supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the building in a bid to halt the certification of the Republican’s 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden,” the AP wrote.

Earlier this year, the FBI took another close look at the case, examining surveillance video and digital records.

“They gathered cell tower data showing which phones were active in the neighborhood at the time and issued subpoenas to several tech companies, including Google, for location information,” the AP report said.

“Investigators also analyzed credit card transactions from hobby shops and major retailers to identify customers who had purchased components resembling those used in the two explosive devices — each roughly 1 foot (0.3 meters) long and packed with gunpowder and metal, according to two law enforcement officials familiar with the investigation.”

The suspect was wearing a hooded sweatshirt, mask, gloves, glasses and a pair of Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers, which became a focus of the investigation.

“After learning from Nike that thousands of pairs had been distributed through more than two dozen retailers, agents filed subpoenas for credit card records from Foot Locker and other chains as they worked to narrow down potential buyers,” the AP reported.

Still, for years, the case had no solid breakthroughs.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.