YIKES

WH Fence Jumper Roamed Grounds for 16 Minutes

He was taken into custody near the South Portico entrance.

The Secret Service acknowleged on Friday that 26-year-old Jonathan T. Tran who leapt the White House fence last Friday night was inside the secured perimeter for almost 17 minutes before being taken into custody near the South Portico entrance. He was reportedly carrying mace at the time. In a letter Friday to Acting U.S. Secret Service Director William J. Callahan, House Committee on Oversight on Government Reform chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz said his panel had received potentially troubling allegations about security protocols pertaining to the incident. “I worry this is the worst one yet,” Chaffetz said. “The time on the White House grounds really concerns me. With the President in the White House the intruder was evidently able to hide behind a pillar and get to a door undetected. The problem has persisted for years and is totally unacceptable. It scares me.”