A man who drove up to a White House gate and refused to leave was arrested today, the Secret Service said, less than 24 hours after another man jumped the fence and made it all the way into the presidential residence before being apprehended. The second incident started when a man approached one of the White House gates on foot, a Secret Service spokesman said. The man later showed up at another gate in a car and pulled into the vehicle screening area. When the man refused to leave, he was placed under arrest and charged with unlawful entry. The president and first family were not at home.
Bomb technicians, fully suited, could be seen looking through a white four-door sedan with New Jersey plates and pulling out what appeared to be keys. Streets near the White House were temporarily closed as officers responded, but the White House was not locked down. It wasn't immediately clear who the man was or why he was trying to enter the White House. There were no signs that today's arrest was related to the security breach last night. But the pair of incidents in short succession heightened concerns about security at the White House, one of the most heavily protected buildings in the world. (More White House stories.)