Man accused of jumping White House fence declared competent to stand trial

WASHINGTON – Psychiatrists say Omar Gonzalez, who is accused of jumping the White House fence and running inside the executive mansion before being apprehended, is competent to stand trial.

U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer disclosed the conclusions of a psychiatric report Wednesday at a hearing in which Gonzalez pleaded not guilty to the latest set of charges against him.

He is accused of unlawfully entering a restricted building while carrying a deadly weapon, which is a federal charge, and two violations of District of Columbia law — carrying a dangerous weapon outside a home or business and unlawful possession of ammunition.

A Secret Service review has detailed a string of failures on Sept. 19 that allowed an intruder to make it all the way into the East Room carrying a knife.

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