White House fence jumper in custody

(Image credit: Getty Images)

last updated 27 November 2015

On Thursday afternoon, the Obamas' Thanksgiving celebrations were interrupted when a man swaddled in the American flag jumped the White House fence around 2:45 p.m. while the family was inside. Officials say Joseph Caputo, who carried a binder in his mouth, was immediately apprehended, yet are unsure how the intruder made it past new "pencil point" spikes installed along the property's perimeter earlier this year as a defensive measure.

One witness, reports the Washington Post, who was visiting the White House Thursday said she saw Caputo remove his sweatshirt, wrap himself in the flag, and proclaim, "All right, let's do this," before hurdling himself over the first barricade.