Naked man who entered Minnesota Capitol building after hours propped open exterior door earlier in day, charges say
A man who was allegedly caught naked inside the Minnesota State Capitol on Friday propped open an exterior door hours before he entered the building after hours, charging documents say.
According to a criminal complaint, the 36-year-old man first entered the Capitol around 2 p.m. when the building was still open to the public. He was seen on security video carrying a wooden wedge, which he used to prop open an exterior mechanical door that allowed him to gain entry after the building closed.
Charging documents say he returned to the building at 9:47 p.m. and went to the restroom. He emerged roughly 40 minutes later, naked, and walked up to the second floor.
Capitol security officers reached out to the Minnesota State Patrol around 11:15 p.m. to report the man, court documents say.
Security guards found the man in the Senate president's chair holding an envelope, which he claimed contained his money. The man made several other statements, including that he was the governor and that the Capitol was his house, where he had lived his whole life.
He was taken to the hospital. After he was released, the man was seen again on the Capitol grounds around 7:30 a.m. Saturday. The state patrol said he was taken to the hospital again, and was released. He was taken into custody after showing up at the Capitol complex a third time.
Officers asked during a post-Miranda interview what the man was doing in the Senate chamber. He said he had woken up in his father's chair and looked around for keys, but couldn't find any, charges say.
Documents say that the area where the man was found inside the Senate chamber had been rummaged through, and several desk drawers were left open.
He is charged with second-degree burglary.
Gov. Tim Walz said that security changes are coming to the Capitol building, especially in the wake of the shootings of two state lawmakers last month. The Minnesota Capitol is less secure than in most other states, he said Monday.