US Secret Service had to step in to take care of a serious breach of security protocol at the White House on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue when a pint-sized baby intruder slid through the bars into the White House on the north side of the highly fortified and secured property on Tuesday.
Reported President Joe Biden was at the building at the time of the breach.
The baby was retrieved from the North Lawn by the vigilant secret service and handed over to the family.
The family was, however, briefly interrogated before they were let go.
The intruder took advantage of the five and a half inches of space between the bars on the fence to gain access inside the highly secured zone.
The Secret Service is yet to comment on the incident.
Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said officers “encountered a curious young visitor along the White House north fence line who briefly entered White House grounds.”
“The White House security systems instantly triggered Secret Service officers and the toddler and parents were quickly reunited,” he said in a statement.
The unidentified tot may have been the first person to get through the White House’s new 13-foot tall fences, which were installed in recent years after several breaches.
Although the new fences are taller, they feature an additional inch between posts — giving the tiny trespasser 5½ inches of space to work with.
Older children have sometimes become stuck in the iconic barrier, which has also been the scene of demonstrations, with protesters chaining themselves to the fence.
