White House Intruder With Suspicious Package Arrested After Climbing Fence

A person, who carried a suspicious package and climbed the White House fence on Sunday night, was later arrested by officials. The person reportedly climbed the fence at about 10:25 p.m. on Sunday, CNN reported, citing Brian Leary, spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service.

The charges against the person, whose name or gender was not revealed, are still pending, CNN reported. The package, which was examined after the incident, was found to be harmless, but the reason behind the intrusion is not known yet. The fence was on the south side of the White House.

Security lapses at the White House have been a cause of concern since September, when Omar J. Gonzalez climbed the fence on the north side of the White House and ran across the lawn to enter the building. Following this, a second barrier was erected in front of the premises. In October, Dominic Adesanya, a 23-year-old mentally ill man, jumped over the permanent fence of the White House. In February, Mauricio Juan Jimenez Aguirre of Washington tried to climb the fence.

In March, two senior Secret Service agents, who were reportedly intoxicated, allegedly drove their car into the White House barrier, adding to the woes of security officials.

The current barrier around the White House is 8 feet tall and, according to CNN, temporary steel pikes may be added to the tips of the wall, until a permanent barrier is constructed.