White
House spokesman Josh Earnest said the Secret Service has launched a full review
of security procedures at the White House following the weekend scares, but one
change already has been implemented: Locking the front door
BY
Dan Friedman In Washington, D.c. , Philip Caulfield , Joel Siegel
MICHAEL
REYNOLDS/EPA Secret Service patrol outside the north fence of the White House
on Monday. The White House has taken increased security measures following two
incidents over the weekend.
WASHINGTON
— The man who scaled a White House fence Friday and managed to get past the
mansion’s unlocked front door had 800 rounds of ammo, a machete and two
hatchets in his car, a prosecutor said Monday.
It
also was disclosed that the intruder, Omar Gonzalez, 42, an Iraq War vet, was
arrested by Virginia State Police in July with 11 guns, a tomahawk and a map of
the White House in his possession.
Friday’s
security breach, which occurred 10 minutes after President Obama left the White
House for a family weekend at Camp David, has prompted the Secret Service to
review its protective procedures.
The
President was "obviously concerned" about the incident, White House
spokesman Josh Earnest said.
Mug
shot of Omar Gonzalez from a July arrest in Wythe County, Virginia. New River
Valley Regional Jail Mug shot of Omar Gonzalez from a July arrest in Wythe
County, Virginia.
The
Secret Service will examine protective efforts inside the White House grounds
and outside the fence line on Pennsylvania Avenue, including staffing and
threat assessment policies and procedures.
But
some changes already have been made. The Secret Service stepped up security
around the White House perimeter and "after Friday night's incident, when
the (front) door is not in use, it will be secured," Earnest said.
The
door has often been left open because of heavy use, and because the Secret
Service did not think an intruder could reach it.
Police
said Kevin Carr of Shamong, N.J., was
arrested at the White House for refusing to move his car away from the White
House. Police said Kevin Carr of Shamong, N.J.,
was arrested at the White House for refusing to move his car away from
the White House.
Kevin Carr of Shamong, New Jersey, who
approached the White House on foot and then later in a car and refused to
leave.
An explosive technician in a bomb suit
approaches a vehicle near the entrance to White House in Washington, Saturday,
Sept. 20, 2014. Secret Service says a man has been arrested for trying to
unlawfully enter the White House, less than 24 hours after a fence-jumper made
it all the way into the building. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Gonzalez
was charged with unauthorized entry while carrying a weapon - a folding knife
with a 3 1/2 inch-serrated blade, which was in his pocket. If convicted, he
faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
At
a hearing Monday, he was held without bond after a prosecutor said the intruder
was a flight risk because he is homeless.
“We
also believe he is a danger to the President,” said the prosecutor, Assistant
U.S. Attorney David Mudd.
Omar
Gonzalez got into the White House after scaling a fence and darting across the
north lawn Friday night.
The
Secret Service didn’t open fire on Gonzalez or send attack dogs after him as he
raced across the lawn to the front door.
Officers
assessed that he didn’t have any weapons in his hands and wasn’t wearing
clothing that could conceal substantial quantities of explosives, a primary
reason agents did not fire their weapons, an official briefed on the
investigation told The Associated Press.
At
the time of the breach, Gonzalez was free on bond on after being charged in
July with possessing a sawed-off shotgun and evading arrest in Wythe County,
Va., it was revealed Monday.
A
Bible Gonzalez carried with him during his service in the Army in the Iraq war.
Gonzalez,
whose erratic driving drew the attention of police, had two powerful rifles,
four handguns and other guns and ammo in his vehicle when he was stopped.
Gonzalez,
of Copperas Cove, Texas, served in the Army from 1997 until his discharge in
2003, and again from 2005 to December 2012, when he retired due to disability.
Family
members said Gonzalez suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving
three tours in Iraq.
A
bystander caught Gonzalez's gambit on video. He made it through the door of the
North Portico before agents tackled him and arrested him. bpawlinski via
Instagram A bystander caught Gonzalez's gambit on video. He made it through the
door of the North Portico before agents tackled him and arrested him.
Jerry
Murphy, whose mother was married to Gonzalez for a few years, told the
Associated Press that family members always knew Gonzalez owned a small
arsenal, but doubted he intended to hurt the President or anyone else.
"I
know he's got heavy artillery, you know? He's got all kinds of weapons and he
was trained to use them," Murphy said.
"I
believe if he wanted to make a scene or cause problems, he very well could
have. But it's clear that he didn't."
Sources
told the Associated Press the Secret Service was considering setting up
checkpoints in the streets outside the White House to screen tourists.
"Omar
is a good guy, he's just got some issues that he needs help with,"
Samantha
Bell, who divorced Gonzalez in 2012, said the incident was “a cry out for help.”
Another
family member in California said Gonzalez had been living out of his car for
the past year or two. "He's been depressed for quite some time," the
unnamed relative told The Los Angeles Times.
"He'd
been taking antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication. I suspect he stopped
taking it, otherwise this wouldn't have happened."
Samantha
Bell, who divorced Gonzalez in 2012, said the incident was “a cry out for
help.”
With
News Wire Services
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