Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez, White House Shooting Suspect, Charged With Attempting To Assassinate Obama

Associated Press:

PITTSBURGH — An Idaho man accused of firing two shots at the White House last week has been charged with attempting to assassinate President Barack Obama or his staff.

Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, made his first court appearance before a federal magistrate in Pittsburgh on Thursday, one day after he was arrested at a western Pennsylvania hotel. He will be taken back from a federal court in Pittsburgh to face the charges in Washington, D.C.

Ortega will remain in federal custody at least until a magistrate in Washington can determine if he should remain jailed until his trial on the charge, which carries up to life in prison.

Ortega sat quietly as the hearing began, his hands free but his feet shackled. The 21-year-old said only, "Yes, ma'am" when he was asked if he understood that he would be going back to Washington to face the charge.

Authorities said a man clad in black who was obsessed with Obama pulled his car within view of the White House on Friday night and fired shots from an assault rifle, cracking a window of the first family's living quarters while the president was away.

Soon after, U.S. Park Police found an abandoned vehicle, with an assault rifle inside it, near a bridge leading out of the nation's capital to Virginia. The car led investigators to Ortega.

The FBI took custody of Ortega's car Thursday afternoon to continue the process of reviewing evidence, said Lindsay Godwin, a spokeswoman for the FBI's Washington field office.

Ortega was arrested Wednesday afternoon at a hotel near Indiana, Pa., about 55 miles east of Pittsburgh, after a desk clerk recognized his picture. He had been reported missing Oct. 31 by his family.

Comments

[rondohatton2012]

11:36 AM on 11/22/2011

This is the problem with illegals coming into our country.

[LibertariansGhost]

03:58 AM on 12/11/2011

And of course you have evidence that this man is an illegal? Beyond your prejudiced rantings I mean

[PrunellaC]

11:34 AM on 11/19/2011

Hmmm, Idaho Falls: flyover country or hotbed of radical elitism?

[gryphon10]

10:14 AM on 11/19/2011

No wonder he was mad. Can you imagine the embarrassment of being kicked out of the Wall Street Occupier movement for being too smelly?

[looneydoone]

03:29 PM on 11/19/2011

Baseless charge, originated with NYC Fox anchor Kelly (son of NYPD Police chief)

[rondohatton2012]

11:37 AM on 11/22/2011

LOL
Good one!

[MAucoin566333452]

03:34 AM on 11/19/2011

He's deemed mentally ill because he thinks he is Jesus Christ, Part 2 "Electric Boogaloo" and he is certain that the President is "THE anti-christ". Um-kay.
What are the religious going to do, and I can't believe I'm typing this as if it were anything more than the underdeveloped mind of the primitive human being attempting to validate it's own existence, but what would become of Jesus, were he to return? You know, if it all happens the way the antiquated comic books, ahem, Bible, says it will happen...."Rapture-Style".
Would he be immediately committed to a mental institution just as most others before him?
Would he go all "Criss Angel" on us and put everyone under his spell?
Would the Scientologists kidnap him for the ransom of a few Congressional seats and a federal "Everyone Wears An Ascot" holiday?
Maybe he'll be interrogated by a panel of religious authorities in an attempt to discern his validity...."Good Cop, Bad Cop" style.
Perhaps he'll flee all authority, "Reynolds/aka Bandit-Style", in a cross country attempt to reach the Mormons in 24-hours or less for a substantial cash prize.
Would he "kick it wit tha ladies....Snoop Dog-Style"?
Might he try the lottery or hit Vegas like a tornado....."Rainman-Style"?
Maybe, just maybe, he'll take a look around, chuckle.........and just leave.
Grow up people, please, for the sake of the aliens laughing at us.

[Jimbo2001]

08:01 AM on 11/19/2011

As a fellow atheist, I think your comments, while not extremely well written, are quite humorous. But, I'm not sure how you apply them to this article.

[MAucoin566333452]

06:31 PM on 11/19/2011

Attempting to be well written here would be analogous to my wearing a tuxedo to a tailgate party. For the majority of what I have read here, the two concepts simply don't mesh. The man thinks he is Jesus. That would be how they apply.

[PrunellaC]

11:36 AM on 11/19/2011

"but what would become of Jesus, were he to return?"

He'd be vilified and run out on a rail. GOOD xtians are clean-shaven, doncha know.

[looneydoone]

03:30 PM on 11/19/2011

and *white* doncha know ?

[Stockholm Savant]

10:46 PM on 11/18/2011

This guy has no religious agenda. This is more if an indictment of the mental health care in the society than anything else

[consandy]

06:09 PM on 11/18/2011

Great. Now he'll be the TParty's poster boy.

[consandy]

07:20 PM on 11/18/2011

Right. Because ALL actors are libruls. Ha!

[Sirlarek]

11:17 PM on 11/18/2011

He was a conservative....remember, The republicans were the liberals until they changed.

[PrunellaC]

11:36 AM on 11/19/2011

Good thing they'll be paying his rent for a while.

[Jake23]

05:57 PM on 11/18/2011

Okay, let me make sure I understand this. Religious zealot fires assault rifle at White House but he is not a terrorist.

Oh yeah, I forgot, only Muslim religious zealots are terrorists. Christians who shoot doctors in the head, blow up clinics or fly planes into government buildings are just crazy people.

This guy may look like Jesus in his infomercial but put a towel around his head and he looks like Bin Laden. OMG! Bin laden.....Jesus! Say it ain't so. Then again you never see Jesus and Bin Laden in the same room do you?

[rondohatton2012]

11:38 AM on 11/22/2011

Are you on drugs?
You probably should be.

[LeftLeanWing]

05:56 PM on 11/18/2011

After listening to this guy's manifesto....   he is most definitely Mentally Ill.... with a Messianic Complex.......
Which explains his appearance.....

That being said...
How can a severely mentally ill man.....
          Have access to an Assualt Rifle......at all........

[Jimbo2001]

08:06 AM on 11/19/2011

1. Was he previously diagnosed as mentally ill?
2. Did he acquire the rifle legally?
3. Was it really an assault rifle (this is a very small point, but, because you bring it up . . . .)?

[PrunellaC]

11:42 AM on 11/19/2011

"Was it really an assault rifle"

Well granted, the make and model are not stated, however, per the article:

"Soon after, U.S. Park Police found an abandoned vehicle, with an assault rifle inside it, near a bridge leading out of the nation's capital to Virginia. The car led investigators to Ortega."

Perhaps he inherited the rifle from someone who was raptured.

[MANOFCOMMONSENSE]

04:50 PM on 11/18/2011

I know that those running for President like waterboarding!! I'm sure this guy was leaning Republican!! I have no problem waterboarding Republicans.. if its good by them!! Lets roll on this guy!! I get to pour the water!!

[MANOFCOMMONSENSE]

07:58 PM on 11/18/2011

You call this guy? Constitutional patriots.

[MANOFCOMMONSENSE]

08:04 PM on 11/18/2011

Yes that waterboarding worked so well... That we got him in how many years??

[Jimbo2001]

08:07 AM on 11/19/2011

Then they could just program the computer to pick out any phrases that might indicate that the poster is a patriotic constitutional conservative, and automatically censor them. It would make things move faster.

[bellsblu2]

04:07 PM on 11/18/2011

The White House is the recognized symbol of the United States of America, the greatest nation of the face of the earth.

Anyone aiming and firing at it, for ANY reason, and no matter WHO is president, should spend the rest of their days in prison regretting their actions.

In this instance, it would appear that the perpetrator was inspired by Right sided rhetoric...

Not only should the man who committed these actions be condemned by EVERY American, but the rhetoric of violence and abject hatred that inspires such actions should give everyone reason to turn their back on ANY speaker who couches their position in violent rhetoric, and cast their ballots elsewhere..... because THAT person is CLEARLY not fit to waste a second on.

[Randolph Lee]

06:41 PM on 11/18/2011

The White House is the recognized symbol of the United States of America, that used to be greatest nation of the face of the earth.

FTFY.

[Jimbo2001]

08:11 AM on 11/19/2011

Your comment is good, except for your unrelated, politically motivated and incorrect claim that the perp was "inspired by Right sided rhetoric". If anything inspired him, whether his own politics are left or right, it would probably be something like this:

http://www.binscorner.com/pages/d/death-threats-against-bush-at-protests-i.html

[bellsblu2]

11:28 AM on 11/21/2011

I think not....

I might have missed it, but I don't recall anyone actually doing anything like this while Bush was in office.

I DO, however seem to recall that the Right has a fondness for violent campaign rhetoric.

Those who listen to that sort of thing tend to react to it, and you can see.....

[trollsbwild]

04:00 PM on 11/18/2011

If the gop have their way, his ilk can pack heat in bars, movie theaters, etc.
Luv it.

[VietVet67]

03:56 PM on 11/18/2011

I don't know if this has been posted, but:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/11/18/alleged-white-house-shooter-claims-hes-jesus/

[PrunellaC]

11:49 AM on 11/19/2011

"AK-47 "

The rifle was pondered about earlier. I haven't had any contact with firearms since my dad and I used to go target shooing with his Mauser and .22, and I had a BF in college who liked to shoot cans at the dump with his .357 Magnum, so I'm not positive...but that meets most definitions of an assault rifle, no?

[David Carson]

05:52 PM on 11/19/2011

not always--some models are for the military and others are not

[JimInHouston]

11:13 PM on 11/19/2011

"but that meets most definition­­s of an assault rifle, no? "

No, it does NOT. An assault rifle is a shoulder mounted, SELECT FIRE rifle that fires a medium power cartridge and is equipped with a detachable box magazine.

The key phrase is "select fire", which means it can shoot full automatic. Such weapons are extremely rare and highly regulated in the US. The only way he could have access to such a version of the AK is to get it from internatio­nal gun runners. Reliable sightings of such in the US are negligible­.

[stilts]

03:29 PM on 11/18/2011

Just a shot in the dark here but I'm pretty sure that the windows would be bulletproof. If that's the case than HOW can it be attempted assassination if the bullets can't penetrate the window AND Obama wasn't even there...

[tj101]

03:59 PM on 11/18/2011

No offense, but we'll value the judgement of the Law Enforcement.....

[LibertariansGhost]

03:54 AM on 12/11/2011

Is that the judgement of Law Enforcement that lets a man armed with an assault rifle within shooting distance of the White House? No offense, but the judgement of Law Enforcement is open to serious critique, for this incident as well as numerous other incidents. You of course are free to value what you will, but that doesn't make their judgment any more, or any less valuable

[SageFire]

04:03 PM on 11/18/2011

Intent.

[Eleutheria]

08:14 PM on 11/18/2011

I do agree that this demonstrates intent which is probably grounds for the assissination attempt charge, but I also wonder what the limit is. What if the guy that threw his shoe at Bush really intended to decapitate him? What if I stared directly into Barrack Obama's eyes, believing I have supernatural powers and with the intention of making his head explode? We all know neither of those attempts could ever actually be successful, so is that an assassination attempt? Hmm...

[LibertariansGhost]

03:51 AM on 12/11/2011

As stated in the article, he is accused of attempting to kill the President OR his staff. How can you be certain of intent when even the target is ill defined?

[Kachina Lively]

03:08 PM on 11/18/2011

Sad..this young man could have put his energies in a positive frame to help. Now, he is lost to himself and all others that would have depended on him. Drastic Measures are never the answer. What a waste of life?!

[sheputstheLinPAIN]

05:09 PM on 11/18/2011

My bet is that he would have if mental disease hadn't interfered. He needs medication. Our nation needs to embrace mental illness awareness. Awareness and treatment could have prevented this.