California man Jerome Hunt charged with unlawful entry after jumping White House fence

A California man was charged with misdemeanor unlawful entry after he successfully climbed the White House fence on 19 April. According to WTOP, Secret Service officials arrested the man at about 10.25pm.

Jerome Hunt, of Sacramento, appeared in Washington DC Superior Court on 20 April and released under certain conditions, CBS News reported. Hunt will be required to get a mental health assessment and will be subjected to GPS monitoring. He was ordered to stay away from the White House.

The 54-year-old is scheduled to appear in court on 12 May at 9.30am, according to CBS.

Hunt reportedly told reporters he climbed the fence, with a toothbrush in his green bag, because he believes the president needs to be protected.

The incident is just the latest in a series of security mishaps by the Secret Service. On 19 September, police said a knife-wielding man jumped the White House fence and managed to run into the executive mansion. According to Secret Service, 16 people have jumped the fence in the last five years.

NBC Washington reported on 16 April that the National Park Service is considering adding new, steel spikes on the security fence to repel future fence jumpers. According to NBC Washington, the US Commission of Fine Arts will make the final decision, while the National Capital Planning Commission is expected to approve the changes on 7 May.

The National Park Service is also considering raising the fence to 10 feet high or adding a second fence, NBC Washington reported.