A New Philadelphia man is facing misdemeanor charges after ramming a Ford Edge into a gate near the White House.
On March 11th, 35-year-old Christopher Cavanaugh, whose address is listed on Saint Clair Avenue, in New Phila, was in Washington D.C. when he struck a vehicle gate at 6:30am at 721 Madison Place NW, 
an access point to the White House. According to officer reports, the gate was shut with a bolt lock and chain, and the exterior is marked with signs stating, “Restricted Area Do Not Enter”.
Court documents show Cavanaugh was detained without incident. When officers asked why, Cavanaugh said God told him to and that “he was here to deliver a present to the president”. When questioned about any other attempts to contact the United States president, Cavanaugh said he reached out to a congress person and that if he mailed anything to the president then it would be destroyed.
He did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and passed the Standardized Field Sobriety Test.
Charges include unlawful entry and destruction of property less than $1,000 Cavanaugh plead not guilty at a March 13th arraignment, at which time a stay away order was issued.
A misdemeanor initial status hearing is scheduled for April 27th.
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