White House Barrier Jumper Signs Agreement With Prosecutors To Get His Case Dismissed

Mauricio Juan Jimenez Aguirre of Washington, a man who tried to climb a barrier outside the White House in February, has struck an agreement with prosecutors to get the case dismissed. Aguirre was arrested after the incident and had been charged with unlawful entry into the executive mansion.

Aguirre had tried to enter the White House after a second barrier was erected in front of the building following similar incidents in the past that had led to greater scrutiny of the U.S. Secret Service -- the agency in charge of the American president's safety, The Associated Press reported. Under the terms of the deal, which was finalized Monday, the case against Aguirre will be dismissed if he does 32 hours of community service and stays out of trouble for the next four months, a spokesman for the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia reportedly said.

In September, Omar J. Gonzalez, wielding a knife, jumped over the White House fence. And in October, Dominic Adesanya, a 23-year-old mentally ill man had jumped over the permanent fence of the White House. Following these incidents, a second barrier was put in place outside the mansion. The incidents also led to the resignation of Secret Service Director Julia Pierson in October.

"Instead of remaining the organization that prides itself on operating silently and courageously behind the scenes, we are now in the public spotlight,'' Joseph Clancy, the new Secret Service Director, had said in November, adding: "This has had detrimental effects on workforce morale and operational security, both with potentially dire consequences.''