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Chesterfield man said he wanted to 'kill the president' after U-Haul crash near White House

Sai Varshith Kandula was arrested Monday night after driving a U-Haul truck into bollards surrounding a park on the White House complex, federal investigators said.

WASHINGTON — A 19-year-old Chesterfield man accused of crashing a U-Haul box truck into a barrier near the White House Monday night said he wanted to "seize power and be put in charge of the nation," according to a statement of facts filed in federal court.

Sal Varshith Kandula, identified as the driver of the truck, also told investigators he would "kill the president if that's what I have to do and would hurt anyone that would stand in my way," U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Mariah Hicks wrote in court documents.

Hicks said shortly after 9:30 p.m. EDT, a U.S. Park Police officer who was on patrol nearby saw the truck going east on H Street, near the walking entrance to Lafayette Square, a park that sits north of the White House complex, just across Pennsylvania Avenue.

Kandula then drove the truck onto the sidewalk and crashed it into the metal bollards that prevent vehicles from entering the White House complex. After backing the truck up, he crashed into the bollards a second time, Hicks said.

The Park Police officer drove behind the U-Haul and saw Kandula get out of the truck and remove a red and white flag with a swastika on it from a backpack he was carrying. Kandula said he purchased the flag online because "Nazis have a great history" and that he admired their "authoritarian nature, Eugenics and their one world order." Nazi party leader Adolph Hitler was a "strong leader," he said.

The officer told Kandula to get on the ground, where he was searched and arrested before being taken to a Park Police station for questioning.

Kandula told investigators he flew from St. Louis-Lambert International Airport to Dulles International Airport. His flight arrived at the Virginia airport at about 8 p.m.

Credit: Rockwood School District
A yearbook photo of Sai Varshith Kandula provided by the Rockwood School District.

Jeff Lockridge, a spokesman for U-Haul, said Kandula rented the truck from a nearby location in Herndon, Virginia "on a valid contract with proof of a government-issued driver's license and valid form of payment." Herndon is about a 35-minute drive from the White House.

Kandula paid for a one-day rental of a 26-foot long truck, Lockridge said, adding the company "is cooperating with law enforcement to ensure their investigative needs are met."

Kandula, who told police he had been planning the trip to Washington, D.C., for six months, said he considered it a success because his "intention was to send a message to us," according to court documents.

An investigator asked Kandula to explain what he meant by "us," to which he replied organizations like the Secret Service.

"Either way, whether I got into the White House or not, my message was received," Kandula said. He knew he would be arrested, investigators said, but that a green book that served as an "outlet for his thoughts" would get to the right people.

"He eventually started writing his plans to enter the White House, and what he would accomplish if he was in charge," Hicks said.

President Joe Biden was in the White House when the truck crashed outside, NBC News reported, citing Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. It wasn’t clear if Biden was informed of the incident as it unfolded. The Secret Service and Park Police briefed him Tuesday morning, according to Jean-Pierre.

"He’s relieved that no one was injured last night and grateful to the agent and law enforcement officer who responded so quickly," she said.

A LinkedIn profile purportedly belonging to Kandula showed he attended Marquette Senior High School from 2018–2022

Mary Lepak, a spokeswoman for the Rockwood School District confirmed that "a student by the name of Sai Varshith Kandula graduated (early) from Marquette High School in January 2022." Kandula participated in student council during his sophomore year and played tennis during his sophomore and junior years, according to the district.

Kandula was charged in federal court with one count of depredation of property of the United States in excess of $1,000. He was initially charged with assault with a dangerous weapon; reckless operation of a motor vehicle; threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on a president, vice president or family member; destruction of federal property; and trespassing.

Kandula, in handcuffs and wearing a T-shirt and shorts, appeared Tuesday afternoon in D.C. Superior Court and was being held without bail. He made his initial appearance in federal court Wednesday afternoon, where prosecutors requested pre-trial detention for Kandula and revealed that he is not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident.

Prosecutors said they were working to determine his country of citizenship.

A detention hearing was set for May 30 at 3 p.m. Kandula was ordered to be held in custody until then.

No explosives were found in the U-Haul, and Kandula wasn't carrying any weapons or ammunition, according to investigators. The Secret Service said no agency or White House personnel were injured in the incident, CNN reported.

National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told CNN that it was "difficult to know for sure" what Kandula's motivations were and that the incident was still being investigated.

Agents from the Secret Service and the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force on Tuesday executed a federal search warrant at Kandula's parents' home in the 1100 block of Patchwork Fields. They searched for notes, computers or any evidence of planning that led up to or motive behind Monday’s events, CNN reported.

In addition to the Secret Service and the U.S. Park Police, the FBI and U.S. Capitol Police are part of the investigation.

5 On Your Side's Paula Vasan, Sam Clancy and Clarissa Cowley contributed to this report.

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