White House intruder identified as veteran

An explosive technician in a bomb suit approaches a vehicle near the entrance to White House in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. Secret Service says a man has been arrested for trying to unlawfully enter the White House, less than 24 hours after a fence-jumper made it all the way into the building. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
An explosive technician in a bomb suit approaches a vehicle near the entrance to White House in Washington, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014. Secret Service says a man has been arrested for trying to unlawfully enter the White House, less than 24 hours after a fence-jumper made it all the way into the building. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

WASHINGTON -- The man accused of getting inside the White House after scaling a fence is a veteran who was awarded a medal for his service in Iraq and had retired because of disability, the Army said Sunday.

Authorities have identified the intruder from Friday night's incident as Omar J. Gonzalez, 42, of Copperas Cove, Texas, and the Army said he had served from 1997 to 2003, when he was discharged, and then again from 2005 to December 2012, when he retired.

But Samantha Bell, who is Gonzalez's ex-wife, said Gonzalez was honorably discharged for medical reasons and suffered from plantar fasciitis on his feet, on which he had had some surgeries. She said he also suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, for which he had been prescribed several medications.

Bell said she and Gonzalez married in 2006 and lived together in Copperas Cove, near Fort Hood, Texas, until she split up with him in 2010 because of his worsening mental condition. After a second tour in Iraq, Gonzalez began carrying a .45-caliber handgun on his hip at all times and kept three or four rifles and shotguns behind the doors in their home, said Bell.

Gonzalez was expected to appear in federal court today to face charges of unlawfully entering a restricted building or grounds while carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon -- a knife, in this case.

The Secret Service has come under heavy criticism since the security breach, which happened when the first family wasn't at the White House. Secret Service Director Julia Pierson ordered increased surveillance and more officer patrols at the White House, as the agency investigates what went wrong.

A member of the House Homeland Security Committee said Sunday that it was astonishing, at a time of concerns about terrorist attacks, that "someone could actually get into the White House without being stopped."

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., said the intrusion was "absolutely inexcusable" and he expected congressional hearings into the incident at one of the world's most heavily secured buildings.

"This demands a full investigation, an investigation as to what happened, why it happened and what's being done to make sure it never happens again," he told Fox News Sunday.

Officials first said the fact that the man appeared to be unarmed may have been a factor in why agents at the scene didn't shoot or have their dogs pursue him before he made it inside.

But a criminal complaint issued late Friday revealed Gonzalez had a small folding knife with a 3½-inch serrated blade with him at the time of his arrest.

At a hearing late Saturday afternoon in D.C. Superior Court, the assistant public defender representing Gonzalez said Gonzalez had no convictions or arrest warrants and had tested negative Saturday for drug use, according to The Washington Post.

"This is someone who has provided service to his country and shown commitment in his life," said the lawyer, Margarita O'Donnell, as she tried unsuccessfully to get Gonzalez released.

According to a criminal complaint, Gonzalez told Secret Service agents after his arrest that he was "concerned that the atmosphere was collapsing" and needed to contact the president "so he could get word out to the people."

The Army said Gonzalez enlisted in July 1997 and was assigned to the 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, at Fort Hood. At the time, he listed his home as Puerto Rico.

He was discharged in September 2003 after completing his service obligation.

Gonzalez enlisted a second time, in July 2005, and served until his retirement in late 2012.

During this period, he was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, and the 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Ford Hood.

Gonzalez served in Iraq from October 2006 to January 2008, according to the Army.

In the incident, the intruder ran toward the presidential residence unimpeded, until being tackled just inside the doors of the North Portico entrance overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue.

"Every day the Secret Service is challenged to ensure security at the White House complex while still allowing public accessibility to a national historical site," the agency said in a statement Saturday.

"Although last night the officers showed tremendous restraint and discipline in dealing with this subject, the location of Gonzalez's arrest is not acceptable."

Less than 24 hours after Gonzalez's arrest, a second man was apprehended after he drove up to a White House gate and refused to leave, Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said, prompting bomb technicians in full gear to search the vehicle as agents briefly shut down nearby streets.

On Sunday, Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary identified the man as Kevin Carr, 19, of Shamong, N.J.

There were no indications the two incidents were connected.

Information for this article was contributed by Betsy Blaney, Rick Callahan, Maud Beelman and Terry Wallace of The Associated Press.

A Section on 09/22/2014

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