3rd time not a charm: White House fence jumper busted again

WASHINGTON — The Secret Service must be feeling a profound sense of deja vu.

A woman who had tried to jump the White House fence but got tripped up by her shoelaces last week, and was arrested days later for violating a “Stay Away” order, was busted yet again early Sunday by Secret Service officers.

Officials confirmed to WTOP by email that it was the same woman who had been arrested twice before.

In an official statement, the presidential security force said the woman triggered an alarm at approximately 2:15 a.m. at the southeast corner of the Treasury Building adjacent to 15th Street Northwest.

Officers responded immediately and found that the woman had scaled the fence.

She was arrested and charged with unlawful entry and contempt of court.

She had with her a backpack, sleeping bag and other assorted items — all of which were swept and cleared by an Explosive Ordinance and Disposal team. Nothing dangerous was found.

The woman has been identified as Marci Anderson Wahl, 38, of Everett, Washington, The Associated Press reports.

The woman has been arrested twice before.

The first arrest occurred on March 21, when she attempted to scale the White House fence and was strung up by her shoelaces. She was issued a “Stay Away” order.

The second arrest occurred on March 24, when she was spotted at 16th Street and H Street Northwest, near Lafayette Park, and busted for violating the aforementioned “Stay Away” order.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Will Vitka

William Vitka is a Digital Writer/Editor for WTOP.com. He's been in the news industry for over a decade. Before joining WTOP, he worked for CBS News, Stuff Magazine, The New York Post and wrote a variety of books—about a dozen of them, with more to come.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up