Marine reservist carrying suspicious items sparks major security alert at the Pentagon

Marine reservist carrying suspicious items sparks major security alert at the Pentagon

2011-06-18 12:21:04 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- A Marine reservist was arrested at the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. on early Friday morning after he was seen there when the location is closed. Items he was carrying sparked a major security alert.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)'s Washington Field Office, 22-year-old Yonathan Melaku was detained for trespass at the military cemetery when he was spotted there on early Friday morning. Contact with Melaku found he was carrying items which caused initial concerns about the public's safety, prompting the FBI and other agencies to respond to the scene and roads around the Pentagon to be shut down.

The FBI's Washington Field Office Joint Terrorism Task Force (WFO JTTF), the United States Park Police, the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, Ft. Myer Police, the Arlington County Police Department and the Arlington County Fire Department were all involved in the investigation, which initiated on the grounds adjacent and West of the Pentagon.

Ft. Myer Police was the agency which detained Melaku, and the United States Park Police questioned him and initial investigative efforts quickly identified two potential public safety concerns, items in Melaku's possession as well as a red 2011 Nissan vehicle found parked in a wooded area nearby the Pentagon, directly off Route 27 and Route 110.

The Arlington County Fire Department and an initial FBI search of the vehicle found no immediate threat, and streets in the area were later released. The FBI removed the vehicle from the scene and further processing of the vehicle is expected to continue on Saturday.

Melaku was also in possession of a backpack that contained unknown materials which initially caused public safety concerns. Bomb experts at the scene, however, were able to determine that the items were non-explosive and inert. The materials in the backpack will undergo further testing at the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.

As part of the investigation, Melaku's residence in Alexandria, Virginia was searched by the FBI with the assistance of Fairfax County Police Department.

While it remains unclear why Melaku was at the cemetery, the FBI said it believes Melaku acted alone and that there were no other locations or activity involved. Officials would not confirm media reports that a note mentioning al-Qaeda and the Taliban were found.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it was monitoring the situation. "DHS is monitoring a suspicious vehicle incident causing road closures around the Pentagon," said DHS spokesman Matthew Chandler. "This is a law enforcement matter at this time, with the U.S. Park Police and the Arlington County Police Department as leads and other federal agencies on the scene."

According to the United States Marine Corps, Melaku joined the Marine Corps Reserve on September 4, 2007 and is currently listed as a Marine Corps reservist Lance Cpl and a motor vehicle operator with Combat Engineer Support Company, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve. He has previously been awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal. He has not deployed overseas.

Melaku remained in the custody of the United States Park Police as of early Saturday morning.

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