The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) said that they arrested a person who attempted to set his car ablaze near the U.S. Capitol building during President-elect Trump’s visit late Wednesday.

“Twice today our officers stopped a man who could have been a danger to the Capitol Hill community,” U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said. “This vigilance is critical during this time of heightened security.”

The agency said that during Trump’s visit with Republican senators and his time paying respect to President Carter, a 35-year-old man from Virginia attempted to set his car on fire.

POLICE ARREST MAN AFTER ATTEMPTING TO CARRY MACHETE, 3 KNIVES INTO US CAPITOL, HOURS BEFORE TRUMP ARRIVES

Police said that just before 5:30 p.m., USCP officers were alerted to a man who had parked on First Street, NW, near the Grant Memorial, and had lit a bag on fire atop his vehicle. 

POLICE ARREST MAN AT US CAPITOL WHO HAD BOTTLES OF FUEL, FLARE GUN, BLOW TORCH

When officers ran over to the man, the bag extinguished on its own. 

The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. (Reuters/Jason Reed)

Out of an abundance of caution, the USCP said that the vehicle was declared suspicious, and the agency’s Hazardous Incident Response Division cleared the vehicle. 

Officials determined that the car was not a danger at approximately 7 p.m.

The car had been spray-painted. Investigators determined that accelerants were in the bag. The driver was arrested for unlawful activities.

The U.S. Capitol Police stopped a man from entering the Capitol at a security checkpoint, after he was found to allegedly have a machete and three knives in his bag. (U.S. Capitol Police)

Hours prior to this arrest, the USCP detained a man who attempted to carry a machete into the Capitol Visitor Center (CVC). 

The Capitol Police said in a social media post that the incident happened just after 2 p.m., when officers working at a security screening at the CVC’s north doors spotted a machete in the man’s bag.

The X-ray machine was stopped as the bag went through, then police arrested 44-year-old Mel J. Horne, of Washington, D.C., before securing the machete.

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Police said Horne was arrested for multiple counts of carrying a dangerous weapon and will be interviewed by investigators to determine his motive.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

As D.C. continues to dig out of Monday’s snow storm, there are many residents who need help clearing their sidewalks, walkways and driveways.

Even a little snow can be problematic for seniors and people with disabilities.

That’s where D.C.’s “Snow Hero” program comes in.

More than 200 volunteers from all walks of life signed up with the D.C. government to lend a hand.

Nigle Brake and his team with the environmental organization Ward 8 Woods are some of them.

“Well, it’s about taking care of your community and giving back when you can,” Brake said.

Brake and his team were called to shovel at one home in Southeast D.C. Wednesday morning, but noticed the neighbors’ sidewalks also needed shoveling.

“We noticed that next door there were two houses, and that house had a veteran sign on it. So we looked at that house, knocked on the door. But then we saw the elevator lift, and saw that the individual is possibly in a wheelchair. So, we took the opportunity to knock on the door,” Brake said.

Hundreds of residents called the city for help clearing their steps and walkways after Monday’s snow storm dumped several inches on the city.

“So far, over a thousand D.C. residents have been matched with volunteers to shovel their driveways and walkways, but we still have hundreds more that need help,” Serve D.C. Director Dominique A. Scott told News4.

“I think it shows the resilience of the community, of people giving back and caring about those in need,” Brake said.

“They’re amazing. We couldn’t do this without them. The engagement of the residents makes all the difference, and when people see that their community members are showing up for them, it warms their heart,” Scott said.

Any D.C. residents who need help shoveling their snow, or who want to volunteer, can call 311.

Community members and family members are mourning the loss of a veteran journalist from Washington, D.C. who died Tuesday.

Derrick Ward Sr., a reporter at NBC4 Washington (WRC-TV) and formerly of radio stations WPFW, WAMU and WTOP, died Tuesday from complications after a recent cardiac arrest.

“Derrick has been an inspiration and cherished member of our family and his hometown community,” the 62-year-old’s family said in a statement shared publicly by WRC-TV. 

“As a distinguished journalist, Derrick’s storytelling, prolific writing, warmth, and humor touched countless lives. Our children and our entire family will miss him dearly,” his family wrote.

WRC-TV also issued a statement about his passing, calling him the station’s “resident DC historian and poet.”

Ward just celebrated his 62nd birthday last month, according to his Facebook page.

‘He shined when he had a pen, a microphone, or guitar in his hands’

Ward grew up in the southeast Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Marshall Heights, WRC-TV reported. 

Ward went to H.D. Woodson High School and the University of Maryland, then worked for local radio stations such as WTOP. He eventually crossed over to television news, starting at WKBW-TV in Buffalo and then making his way back to D.C. in 2006 to report for WRC-TV.

According to the station, Ward was able to touch those around him through words and music.

“He shined when he had a pen, a microphone, or guitar in his hands,” the station wrote.

Ward lived through multiple moments in D.C. history, including the 1968 riots after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. He covered events such as the Iran-Contra hearings, the September 11 attacks and the Washington sniper shootings, according to his online biography.

Although his X account has been inactive since 2023, his last post gave social media users a glimpse into the work he did.

“Descendants of enslaved and enslavers join hands at Arlington House, Lee Family Plantation house,” Ward wrote on April 22, 2023.

His Facebook page also speaks to the journalist’s love for music as he shared clips of famed musicians performing. Up and down Ward’s timeline are clips of Caribbean band Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, soul band Geno Washington & the Ram Jam Band and Cameroonian musician Manu Dibango.

And when he wasn’t jamming and reporting, Ward loved playing golf and also spent lots of time with his three children, Derrick Jr., Ian, and Marisa, according to WRC-TV.

His family plans to share memorial information in the coming days, they wrote in their statement.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at @SaleenMartin or email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.