Monday, September 22, 2014

THIS IS A MAN WHO FELL TO THE WHITE HOUSE WHIT A KNIFE





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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