WASHINGTON — The Ellipse and a downtown D.C. street were closed for a time Monday after a man climbed a security barrier at the White House complex and left a bag nearby.
A Secret Service spokesman told WTOP that the man jumped a barrier on the south side of the White House complex at about 12:45 p.m. Monday and was arrested on E Street Northwest.
He dropped a bag outside White House grounds on E Street; it’s still there, and the D.C. police are clearing it, the spokesman said.
The man was arrested and charged with unlawful entry, the Secret Service said.
The Ellipse, the White House fence line and E Street were closed to vehicle and foot traffic.
At about 2:20 p.m., the Secret Service said that the D.C. police had declared the bag safe, but that E Street was still closed. It reopened later.
