WH intruder is Iraq War vet

The intruder who scaled a fence and was apprehended just inside the White House is an Army veteran who was award a medal for his service in Iraq and had to retire because of a disability, The Associated Press reported Sunday.

{mosads}Texas resident Omar J. Gonzalez, 42, served in the Army from 1997-2003 and again from 2005-2012, the AP reported. The Army declined to disclose the soldier’s disability due to privacy concerns.

Gonzalez was arrested Friday, after he scaled the perimeter fence protecting the White House, sprinted across the lawn and made it inside the building’s front doors. The Secret Service found a knife on Gonzalez, who is due to appear in federal court on Monday to face charges of entering a restricted building while carrying a deadly or dangerous weapon, the AP said.

President Obama and his two daughters had left the White House minutes before the security breach occurred.

Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.), the former Homeland Security Committee chairman, said Sunday that he expects the panel will hold hearings on how the Secret Service could have allowed the breach to happen and what can be done to prevent future incidents.