Man with Gun in His Car Near the White House Arrested by the Secret Service

Members of the U.S. Secret Service arrested a man parked near the White House after a firearm and ammunition was found inside his car, according to the New York Times.

According to investigators, the man, 41-year-old Renae Kapheim of Davenport, Iowa, was seen near the presidential home at 12:54 p.m. on Wednesday. He then approached uniformed officers of the Secret Service who were patrolling the premises.

The officers said Kapheim was acting suspicious which prompted them to conduct further investigations.

"He said that someone had told him that he should come to the White House, so he had driven to Washington to do so," a senior law enforcer investigating the case said. "The officers interviewed him there and realized that there needed to be further investigating because something wasn't right."

The Secret Service officers then asked Kapheim to take them to his car and with his permission, search it. His vehicle, a 2013 Volkswagen Passat, was parked at Constitution Avenue, which is a block away from the White House, ABC News reported.

Upon searching the vehicle, the officers found a .30-30 rifle and about 40 rounds of ammunition. They also discovered a knife with a 6-inch blade.

Kapheim was immediately arrested and charged with possessing an unregistered firearm. Nicole Mainor, the spokesperson for the Secret Service said other charges might be added depending on the results of the investigation.

Kapheim's arrest marks the latest incident that threatened the safety of the White House. In October, Maryland local Dominic Adesanya scaled the north fence of the property and ran onto the lawn. He was apprehended after security officers tackled him, MSNBC has learned.

42-year-old Omar Gonzalez made a similar breach in September. But unlike Adesanya, Gonzalez made it past the lawn and almost reached the White House's Green Room.

Due to the increasing number of perimeter breaches, Secret Service Acting Director Joseph Clancy appeared before the House Judiciary Committee to propose his plans to increase the height of the White House fence and improve security protocols.