The driver who slammed head-on into a barricade at the U.S. Capitol Building Friday morning said he intentionally rammed the barrier and was angry about patent applications he had filed.
Antonio Pierorazio, 55, struck a barrier south of the Capitol, near the Longworth and Cannon House office buildings about 9 a.m., U.S. Capitol Police said. The crash crumpled the hood of the red Nissan Ultima with Florida plates.
The Reading, Pennsylvania man was promptly arrested, charged with felony destruction of property and unlawful entry, and then questioned for hours. He said upon his release that he hit the barricade intentionally.
"I have a European-Brazilian patent that are gone," he said, referring to his own clothing designs as police escorted him out of a building wearing loose khakis and a partially unbuttoned shirt.
The vehicle did not enter the secure perimeter. Police determined the car was not a hazard.
Pierorazio's mother told WFMZ 69News in Allentown, Penn. that her son has mental health concerns.
He was charged last year with vandalizing cars at a dealership, causing more than $29,000 in damage, the station reported. Pierorazio reportedly told police then that he is schizophrenic.
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D.C. Fire Department spokesman Timothy Wilson said units responded, but no one was transported for injuries. Some streets in the area were closed temporarily.
Pierorazio is due in court Saturday.