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U.S. NEWS Saturday 1 February 2020

$ 10

Police open fire at 'impaired'

driver in Mar-a-Lago breach

By TERRY SPENCER said Major Robert Chan- tional Yujing Zhang gained
Associated Press dler of the Florida Highway access to Mar-a-Lago while
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Patrol. carrying a laptop, phones
Law enforcement agents She crashed through one and other electronic gear.
opened fire on an SUV driv- Mar-a-Lago checkpoint That led to initial specu-
er who smashed through then barreled through a lation that the 33-year-
two security checkpoints second, where Secret Ser- old businesswoman from
at Mar-a-Lago on Friday in vice agents and sheriff's Shanghai might be a spy,
what authorities described deputies were barely able but she was never charged
as the actions of "an ob- to avoid being hit before with espionage.
viously impaired" driver they opened fire, Brad- Text messages she ex-
but not an intentional at- shaw said. The authorities changed with a trip orga-
tack on President Donald fired numerous rounds, but nizer indicated she was a
Trump's resort. Roemhild kept driving and fan of the president and
The driver, Hannah Roem- was able to get away. wanted to meet him or his
hild, 30, of Connecticut, Investigators believe she family to discuss possible A forensic technician works on the vehicle authorities say
who identifies herself on picked up a female rela- deals. officers fired shots at, that breached security at President Donald
Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020,
her Facebook page as an tive before they later locat- Zhang was found guilty of in West Palm Beach, Fla.
opera singer, was later ar- ed her car using a license trespassing and lying to Associated Press
rested at a nearby motel. plate reader. Roemhild Secret Service agents and
No one was injured, au- ran from her car outside was sentenced to time Jing Lu, 56, for trespassing loitering and resisting an of-
thorities said, and Trump a nearby motel and was served. and told her to leave, but ficer without violence after
was not at the Palm Beach tackled by a trooper, Brad- In December, the club's se- she returned to take pho- taking photos by entering a
club at the time, although shaw said. curity officers confronted tos. Lu was charged with service entrance.q
he was scheduled to arrive Later Friday, the SUV could
there later in the day. be seen in the motel's park-
Roemhild was not at any ing lot, with both the driv-
time "even remotely close" er's side window and the
to getting into the "inner pe- rear window completely
rimeter" of the president's shattered. The parking lot
resort, Palm Beach County was lined with red police
Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said at tape and law enforcement
a news conference. vehicles surrounded the
He said Roemhild, "obvi- property.
ously impaired," was danc- Bradshaw said Roemhild
ing on top of her vehicle did not appear to have a
outside the Breakers hotel, criminal record. After Fri-
about 3 miles (5 kilometers) day's events, she was go-
from Mar-a-Lago, when ing to be charged with
an off-duty Florida High- assault on a federal offi-
way Patrol officer who was cer, deadly assault on two
working hotel security ap- sheriff's deputies and traffic
proached her. charges, he said.
Roemhild jumped into the Mar-a-Lago has been the
SUV and refused to open scene of several intrusions
the window or acknowl- since Trump became presi-
edge the officer, Bradshaw dent. On Jan. 5, just hours
said. She then put the car after Trump and his family
in reverse and began driv- had left the club following
ing away. The trooper a two-week vacation, a
smashed the window and Florida man who had been
tried to grab the steering dishonorably discharged
wheel, but was unable to from the Marines for sex of-
stop her, the sheriff said. fenses was arrested after
Roemhild led officers on a he got past two check-
high-speed pursuit, at times points. He had falsely iden-
driving on the wrong side of tified himself as part of the
the road at speeds nearing president's helicopter crew.
70 miles (113 kilometers), In March 2019, Chinese na-