WASHINGTON (AP) — A man was arrested Wednesday in connection with an investigation into a shooting near the White House, the U.S. Secret Service said.
The Secret Service discovered Tuesday that two bullets had hit the White House, one of them apparently cracking a window on the residential level while President Barack Obama was traveling.
The discovery of the bullet holes followed reports of gunfire near the White House on Friday night, although the bullets have not been conclusively connected with the Friday shooting. An assault rifle and an abandoned vehicle were found, which led authorities to link Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez to the reported gunfire.
Ortega, 21, was arrested Wednesday afternoon by Pennsylvania authorities at a hotel near Indiana, Pa., the Secret Service said. He was in Pennsylvania State Police custody.
Ortega is from Idaho Falls, Idaho, and was believed to be living in the Washington area. He was reported missing Oct. 31 by his family. He has an arrest record in three states but has not been linked to any radical organizations, U.S. Park Police said.
The bullet that hit the window was stopped by ballistic glass. The Secret Service did not disclose the location of the second bullet, saying only that it “was found on the exterior of the White House.”
On Wednesday, officials could be seen taking photographs of a window on the south face of the executive mansion. The window they were inspecting is in front of the so-called Yellow Oval Room, according to the White House website. The room is in the middle of the family’s living quarters on the floor that includes the president’s bedroom and the Lincoln Bedroom.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.