Cute intruder crawls through White House fence; gets nabbed by Secret Service

On Tuesday, a toddler entered the White House complex after slipping through the metal fencing, prompting the US Secret Service officers to take swift action. According to a BBC report, the child had entered from the north side of the lawn. The incident occurred while President Joe Biden was inside the White House, according to his public schedule.

Reunited with parents

The child was later reunited with its parents on Pennsylvania Avenue, and the parents were briefly questioned before being allowed to continue on their way. Access to the White House complex was briefly restricted while officers searched for the toddler and reunited the baby with its parents.

Statement by Secret Service spokesperson

Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said that officers "encountered a curious young visitor along the White House north fence line who briefly entered the White House grounds." He added that "the White House security systems instantly triggered Secret Service officers, and the toddler and parents were quickly reunited." The Associated Press quoted him as saying this.

First successful intrusion in recent years

The toddler's adventure on Tuesday might be the first successful intrusion into the complex since the White House fence was doubled in height to roughly 13 feet (3.96 meters) in recent years. The gaps between posts are also wider by an inch.

Similar incident from nearly ten years back

A similar incident happened nearly ten years ago when another toddler, dubbed the "fence baby," squeezed through the White House fence. The White House has had several security breaches over the years, with the most serious incident occurring in 2014 when a man scaled the fence and ran deep into the White House before he was caught.