A driver of a rented U-Haul truck rammed the vehicle into barriers near the White House Monday night.
Sai Varshith Kandula, 19, of Chesterfield, Missouri, was arrested and charged, law enforcement officials said.
The incident occurred around 10 p.m. on the north side of Lafayette Square near the White House, U.S. Park Police said. Authorities say Kandula traveled from St. Louis to Dulles International Airport, where he rented a U-Haul truck and drove to the White House.
After colliding with the bollard, the suspect exited the truck and began waving a flag with what authorities say appeared to be a swastika on it. He was then detained.
He has been charged with five counts, including assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, trespassing, and destruction of federal property, U.S. Park Police told ABC News.
He was also charged with threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on a president, vice president, or their families.
Law enforcement sources say the FBI interviewed Kandula and told them he wanted to seize power, take over the government, and kill the president.
Sources tell ABC News that authorities are looking at a mental health component to the investigation.
Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesperson for the Secret Service, confirmed no one from Secret Service or White House personnel was injured during the incident.
A “preliminary investigation reveals the driver may have intentionally struck” the barrier, he said.
The truck was cleared for potential explosives, a law enforcement official said.
