A Virginia man was arrested Wednesday on Capitol Hill after trying to set his car afire while President-elect Donald Trump was there, authorities said.
Adrian J. Hinton, 35, was arrested by Capitol Police for unlawful activities.
The incident occurred while Mr. Trump was at Congress to pay his respects to the late President Jimmy Carter and to meet with Senate Republicans on his agenda priorities when he takes office.
The burning happened just before 5:30 p.m. on First Street Northwest near the Grant Memorial.
The car had been spray-painted and Mr. Hinton set aflame a bag he put atop the vehicle.
When officers reached the car, the fire had already burned itself out. They quickly arrested the man without reported incident.
By about 7 p.m., the car had been determined not to be a hazard, though accelerants were discovered in the bag.
Capitol Police are still investigating Mr. Hinton’s motive for lighting his car on fire but said they do not believe there is an ongoing threat.
Mr. Hinton’s arrest came a few hours after Capitol Police arrested a man who attempted to enter the Capitol Visitor Center with a bag containing a machete and three knives. Police said the two incidents do not appear to be connected.
“Twice today our officers stopped a man who could have been a danger to the Capitol Hill community,” U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said. “This vigilance is critical during this time of heightened security.”
• Lindsey McPherson can be reached at lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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