The White House went on lock down Tuesday after a robber stole a woman’s purse and attempted to flee police, unwittingly ending up on White House property surrounded by Secret Service agents.
After robbing the woman on 17th Street and G Street NW, the man tried to flee but got blocked by a crowd of people. After being spotted by police and Secret Service agents, the unidentified man scaled a fence, slicing open his hand and landing near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Secret Service quickly apprehended the robber, and medical personnel were dispatched to treat his injury, reports NBC News.
Authorities said it appears the man had no idea he was climbing a fence on White House property during his attempted escape.
“Initial investigation indicates the individual was fleeing from the scene of a robbery,” the Secret Service said in a statement to NBC News.
The incident ignited a White House lock down, issued at 4 p.m. and lifted a half hour later. The Secret Service cleared people from Lafayette Park, which sits in front of the White House. Agents arrested the man and transported him to a local hospital, reports WUSA9.
Witnesses to the robbery said the man stole multiple personal items from the woman before making a run for it.
“He grabbed her purse and her cell phone bag,” Erik Lopez, a local merchant told WUSA9, saying the robber started running in his direction. “I thought I was going to have to throw the coffee in his face. But he jumped over the fence. Luckily I didn’t have to fight.”
A White House fence jumper made it all the way through the grounds and into the building in 2014, leading to the resignation of the Secret Service Director.
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