Officials temporarily locked down the White House late Tuesday afternoon after a man followed a motorcade into a secure area of the heavily guarded complex, authorities said.
Around 4:40 p.m., the driver entered the restricted area, behind a motorcade that included President Barack Obama’s two daughters, who go to school nearby, according to a source familiar with the incident.
Obama was inside the White House at the time, with his schedule indicating he was meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry.
The driver was stopped by uniformed officers at the outer perimeter of a checkpoint at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue and taken into custody, according to a U.S. Secret Service spokesperson. The Secret Service later identified the 55-year-old man as Mathew Evan Goldstein, who was charged with unlawful entry.
About one hour after it began, journalists inside the White House were told the lockdown had been lifted. Video from the scene showed a gray Honda Civic with its doors, hood and trunk opened as authorities looked in and around it.
Due to tight security at the home of the President, even minor breaches can bring a lockdown.
Tags: White House
