A man who managed to jump the White House fence and make it inside the front door before he was arrested had a stockpile of ammo and other weapons in his car, prosecutors said Monday.
Texas native Omar Jose Gonzalez, 42, was charged with unlawfully entering a restricted building or grounds while armed with a dangerous weapon for the Friday night incident, The Washington Post reported.
At around 7:20 p.m., Gonzalez jumped the White House fence, ran across the North Lawn and entered the unlocked front door when he was caught, investigators say. President Barack Obama and his daughter left the White House about 10 minutes earlier.
Prosecutors said during a Monday court hearing that Gonzalez, who has a criminal history, had 800 rounds of ammunition, two hatchets and a machete in his car, according to the newspaper. He was also carrying a folding knife with a serrated blade in his pocket when he breached the White House, according to the Secret Service.
Gonzalez was apparently fixated on the White House. He was arrested after a separate incident on July 19 when Wythe County police allegedly caught him carrying several guns, including a sawed-off shotgun, and a map of the Washington area. A line was drawn on the map pointing to the White House, prosecutors said according to The Post. Gonzalez was released and his case was referred to a grand jury.
In late August, Gonzalez was caught again by the Secret Service while walking along the White House's south fence. He was carrying a hatchet in the back of his pants. Police searched his vehicle, but did not find any ammo and released him.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Mudd said Gonzalez's "preoccupation with the White House and accumulation of a large amount of ammunition in apparently a short period of time represented a danger to the president."
Gonzalez's motivation for the alleged incidents is unclear. His family says he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from serving six years as an Army Special forces sniper in Iraq, The Post reported.
A judge ordered Gonzalez held until Oct. 1 pending revocation of bond for the July incident.
