Capitol Break-In Spurs Concern About Security
A 41-year-old Turlock man who allegedly broke into the state Capitol with his bare hands Friday has reignited a debate over security.
The incident comes eight months after a man with a history of mental problems drove his big rig into the Capitol’s south steps, killing himself and causing severe damage to the south porch when his truck burst into flames.
On Friday, Antonio Richard Mariscal drove up to the west steps about 6:30 a.m., parked his car on the lawn, pushed through a reinforced window and crawled inside, the California Highway Patrol said.
The incident lends credence to proposals to install vehicle barriers around the Capitol, said Jon Waldie, a spokesman for the Legislature’s Joint Rules Committee that oversees security there.
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