MOSCOW, September 20 (RIA Novosti) - A man was able to jump over the White House fence, run across the lawn and enter the building via North Portico doors before being apprehended by security on Friday, The Washington Post reports.
The man, identified as Omar J. Gonzales, 42, from Copperas Cove, Texas was unarmed at the moment of his arrest, Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovan said. He also added that Gonzales was charged with unlawful entry into the White House complex. The intruder’s motives remain unclear.
"The location of the arrest - the White House - is not acceptable to the Secret Service," a Secret Service official said, according to AFP.
Apparently, Barack Obama and his daughters left the White House for their Maryland retreat only minutes before the intrusion, according to the Washington Post. Nevertheless, White House staffers and journalists in the West Wing were evacuated outside by Secret Service agents during the incident.
