A man accused of intentionally ramming a U-Haul truck into a White House security barrier has been identified as 19-year-old Sai Varsith Kandula.
Kandula, a Chesterfield, Missouri man, was identified as the person who careened the box truck into barriers along Lafayette Square, roughly just steps from the White House, Monday night, US Park Police officials said.
He has since been charged with threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on a president, vice president or family member, as well as assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, trespassing and destruction of federal property, US Park Police said.
Law enforcement sources told ABC News Kandula rented a U-Haul vehicle from Dulles International Airport in Virginia after traveling from St. Louis.
After barreling the vehicle into the security barriers, he reportedly exited the front seat and started waving the red, swastika-emblazoned flag before he was taken into custody.
Kandula allegedly told FBI investigators he wanted to take control of the government and kill the president, ABC reported
Investigators are probing whether mental health played a role and it was not immediately clear when he would appear in court.
Footage posted by the Insider Paper from the scene shows the box truck ram into the barrier before coming to a stop
No one was injured in the crash.
Chris Zaboji, 25, told reporters he was running in the area when he heard the commotion He described the driver crashing into the security barrier at least two times.
“When the van backed up and rammed it again, I decided I wanted to get out of there,” he told reporters
In addition to the Nazi flag, investigators recovered duct tape, a backpack and a notebook filled with writing from inside the vehicle, FOX 5 DC reported.
Video posted by FOX 5’s Shomari Stone shows authorities using a robot to investigate the vehicle.
CNN cited a law enforcement source in reporting that no explosives were found inside.
Had he passed through the security barrier, Kandula would have encountered two more layers of fencing before making it to the White House, according to FOX 5.
A LinkedIn page that appears to belong to Kandula shows no undergraduate or employment history, but shows Kandula graduated from Marquette High School in Chesterfield.
hi my name is sai, my career pursuit is dedicated in the field of data analytics,” the page states.
Kandula describes being skilled in python and java coding languages. He writes he is “currently certified in google, and IBM as a data analyst, and have completed courses which certify my skills in that field.”
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