MN Capitol breach: Naked man found sitting in Senate president's chair, charges say

Security review after breach at MN Capitol

The Minnesota State Patrol will conduct a full review of the state Capitol security after a man was removed from the building three times within a 24-hour period.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Authorities have brought charges against the man found naked inside the Minnesota State Capitol late Friday night.

Capitol security breach

The backstory:

Over the weekend, Minnesota State Patrol announced the arrest of the man after he was discovered in the capitol.

Troopers said capitol security found the naked man late Friday night after an alarm was set off. The man was "naked and nonviolent" and in need of a mental health evaluation, officials said. The man was taken to Regions Hospital for evaluation and later released. The man then returned to the capitol grounds early Saturday morning and was discovered around 7:30 a.m.

He was again taken to Regions and again released. Then, for a third time, he returned to the capitol and was arrested on a warrant out of Wisconsin.

The fallout:

With the security breach coming just weeks after two Minnesota lawmakers were shot at their homes, House and Senate leaders called for a security review at the capitol.

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety will announce a third-party review of the capitol security systems and steps they have already taken to bolster safety.

Charges shed new details on breach

What we know:

On Tuesday, Dominic Terell Peace was charged with burglary for the breach at the capitol.

According to the complaint, the naked man was discovered in the Senate chamber, seated in the Senate president's chair, holding an envelope. When asked what was in the envelope, Peace told the guards it contained money.

Peace then told the guards he was the governor and asked why "he always sees new people at the capitol," the charges read.

Peace told officers the capitol was his home and he had lived there all his life, the complaint continues. When asked where his clothes were, Peace said in an upstairs closet.

Timeline:

Troopers say Peace's clothes were later found in the women's restroom, and it appeared he had bathed in the restroom.

A review of security video showed Peace in the capitol shortly before 2 p.m. on Friday, when the building was open to the public. On video, troopers said Peace is seen carrying a wedge and is then seen a short time later without the wedge. Officials say it appears Peace used the wedge to prop open an exterior door, allowing him to re-enter the capitol later that evening.

Peace returned to the capitol around 9:45 p.m. Friday evening, wearing the clothes that were later found in the women's restroom. Peace spent about 40 minutes in the restroom before emerging naked. From there, he walked upstairs to the second floor of the capitol.

What they're saying:

Speaking with troopers after being detained, Peace made strange statements, claiming he used a helicopter to get to the top of the capitol and climbed a ladder down to the "living part" of the capitol.

Peace said he woke up in "his daddy's chair." According to the charges, he claimed Jesus was his father and Mary was his mother. 

Peace also claimed a secret organization meets and makes decisions about the world in the lower part of the capitol.