Two arrested after car crash and barricade breach near White House

Secret Service officers arrested two people in separate incidents outside the White House on Monday, after a vehicle crashed onto a sidewalk near Lafayette Park and a second person jumped a barricade at the park's northwest corner. Both incidents are under investigation, and roads around Lafayette Park were closed as officers responded.

The crash took place at 16th and H Streets NW, where a vehicle ran onto the sidewalk. The driver was reported to be combative with officers and was taken into custody. Video circulating online shows the vehicle with smoke coming from its engine. As a precaution, an explosive ordinance team swept the vehicle, and both the Secret Service and the National Guard responded to the scene.

In the second incident, a person jumped the barricade at the northwest corner of Lafayette Park and was arrested quickly afterward. Reporters working near the complex were moved into the White House briefing room during the response and were later released once the situation was resolved. The closures around the park remained in place while the scene was being handled, and both incidents were treated as open investigations.

The Monday arrests come as the Secret Service has said it is seeing armed individuals increasingly drawn to the White House complex. The agency has pointed to a separate case from the previous Thursday, in which a man was arrested near Constitution Avenue after officers noticed suspicious behavior. Officials said the vehicle he was driving had been stolen and that he admitted to having weapons inside. A search reportedly turned up an AR-15-style rifle, two handguns and ammunition.

The Department of Homeland Security said the man, identified as Ronny Guanipa Chrinos, claimed voices had told him to kill the president. According to the agency's account, he entered Texas in March 2024 and had previously been arrested by Border Patrol before being released under the prior administration. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer, and the U.S. Marshals are currently holding him.

It remains unclear whether the two people arrested on Monday had any connection to the Thursday case. The notes available for this report do not indicate any charges, names or statements from the two Monday arrestees, so their motives and circumstances have not been established.

3Views

Author

Derek Weston

Sports Writer

Derek Weston covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

All articles by this author