The White House was on lockdown for a while Thursday after a man wearing an American flag jumped its newly upgraded fence while President Barack Obama and his family were inside the residence for the holiday, authorities said.
The man, identified as Joseph Caputo, was apprehended about 2:45 p.m. ET on the North Lawn of the White House grounds — the "front door" side along Pennsylvania Avenue, said Robert Hoback, a spokesman for the Secret Service. Police said Caputo was carrying a manila folder, NBC Washington reported.
No further details were immediately available. The situation was described as under control, and the lockdown was lifted shortly before 6 p.m. ET.
Fencing around the White House was bolstered with a new topping of sharp metal spikes beginning in June after an Army veteran pleaded guilty to scaling a White House fence with a folding knife last year.
