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Sam Penrod reportingWeapons, explosives and a truck with Utah license plates not far from the U.S. Capitol caused frantic moments for Congress before a man was arrested. The disturbing incident in the nation's capital appears to have a Utah connection.
Police stopped a 38-year-old man wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a shotgun two blocks from the Capitol and the Supreme Court.
Officials in Washington D.C. remain very quiet tonight about the man and his motives. But the suspect's truck with Utah license plates raises questions about the troubling situation and what his connection may be to Utah.
The man was wearing a police-style bulletproof vest and carrying a shotgun, along with 30 rounds of ammunition, a tactical bow and arrow, black powder and what's described as a Samurai sword. The suspect was arrested, but officers quickly discovered there was another threat not far away.
Sgt. Kimberly Schneider of the U.S. Capitol Police said, "There is also a vehicle that is associated with this individual that's located in the area of North Capitol and D Street Northwest. Capitol police are currently searching the vehicle. There are items of concern that Capitol police have discovered."
Those items of concern in the 1980s pickup truck, with Utah's centennial license plates, included wires coming out of the glove box and propane tanks inside. Evacuations were ordered in the area, and Congress was put on a terrorist alert. The bomb squad later determined there were no explosives in the truck.
Eyewitness News obtained a mugshot from law enforcement in West Virginia which shows 38-year-old Michael Gorbey back in 2006. KSL's sister station, WTOP radio in Washington D.C., reports Gorbey has Utah ties and has lived in several places around the country, with his last known address as West Virginia.
It is still unclear if the truck with Utah plates means Gorbey has recently been in Utah, stole the truck or the license plates. But from all indications, his arrest likely prevented a terrible incident from happening in the nation's capital.
The suspect is being held on charges of possession of a firearm by a felon.
The Utah office of the Joint Terrorism Task Force is involved in the investigation. We contacted that agency as well as the Utah offices of the FBI and ATF. So far they've released no information about the suspect or the truck he was driving.
