Thaindian News

Washington, Nov 17 (IANS) A 21-year-old man described as having a hatred for Washington and President Barack Obama has been arrested in connection with with a White House shooting incident, the US Secret Service announced.

Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez, who was detained by Pennsylvania State Police Wednesday, was allegedly involved in a shooting Friday night that may be responsible for two bullets found at the White House Tuesday, the Secret Service said.

One bullet hit a window and was stopped by bulletproof glass, and another was found on the White House exterior, the Secret Service charged with protecting the first family said.

Ortega-Hernandez is to appear in federal court in Pittsburgh at 2 p.m. Thursday, according to the Justice Department.

Ortega-Hernandez, originally from Idaho, was being questioned by federal authorities, according to Lt. Brad Shields of the Pennsylvania State Police.

Ortega-Hernandez was arrested under a US Park Police warrant issued Sunday in Washington “based on a shooting that occurred at the White House on November 11,” Shields was quoted as saying by CNN .

The bullets were found on the south side of the White House, a Secret Service official told CNN.

“A round was stopped by ballistic glass behind the historic exterior glass,” a Secret Service statement said. “One additional round has been found on the exterior of the White House. This damage has not been conclusively connected to Friday’s incident, and an assessment of the exterior of the White House is ongoing.”

Last Friday night around 9 p.m., U.S. Park Police and the Secret Service investigated after hearing shots fired about 700 to 800 yards from the White House, the Secret Service statement said. Within five minutes, officers located a vehicle on the Constitution Avenue, according to the statement.

“Evidence in the vehicle led to U.S. Park Police obtaining an arrest warrant for Oscar Ortega-Hernandez,” described as a 21-year-old Hispanic male, 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 160 pounds, the Secret Service statement said.
A weapon registered to Ortega-Hernandez was found in the car, CNN said citing a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation.

The Secret Service interviewed people who know Ortega-Hernandez, and determined he had a “direction of interest toward the president and the White House”-a term that does not suggest a direct specific threat.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)