Three men were arrested in separate incidents around the White House, including a man who said he had a bomb, U.S. Park Police and the Secret Service said Friday.
Another man was arrested early Friday near the White House on charges of carrying an illegal firearm. And a third man whom the Secret Service said walked onto White House grounds when a gate was opened briefly was arrested Wednesday evening and charged with unlawful entry.The arrests are the latest in a spate of bizarre attacks and incidents at the White House over the past few months.
The man who claimed to have a bomb drove a car up to near the White House fence, jumped out, and was chased down by a park police officer and a uniformed officer of the Secret Service, said Sgt. Michael Keenan of the Park Police.
"The guy said there was an explosive device in the car," Keenan said. "There wasn't."
The man was identified later as Joseph Maggio, 36, of Annapolis, Md. He was committed to a hospital for observation.
In an earlier incident, a man carrying a gun was arrested about 2 a.m. on the Ellipse, an open park between the south grounds of the White House and the Washington Monument grounds.
That man "was seen skulking around and stopped for suspicious activity. They patted him down and found a gun," the Park Police's Keenan said.
The man was identified as 27-year-old Franklin Ruff, who said he was moving to Washington from Las Vegas and had no fixed address here.
On Wednesday evening, a man identified as Richard Green, 44, of Washington, was arrested on charges of unlawful entry on the White House grounds.
"I think he just kind of wandered in. He didn't really express any interest in anybody in particular," a spokesman said.