AUSTIN (KXAN) — One person was arrested after driving onto the Texas State Capitol grounds in downtown Austin Thursday, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Karla Morales Mateo, 25, of Cedar Creek, was booked into Travis County jail on five felony charges including criminal mischief, aggravated assault on a peace officer, evading arrest, driving while intoxicated and child abandonment, the release states.
DPS said its personnel saw an SUV drive onto the sidewalk near 11th Street and Congress Avenue around 6:40 p.m. Thursday.
The driver dropped two children out of the vehicle, then intentionally drove through a portion of the iron fence that surrounds the Capitol causing damage to the fence near the southwest exit, DPS said.
Then, the SUV went onto the grounds and up the driveway, stopping near the south steps of the Capitol building, DPS said.
The two children were released to Child Protective Services, DPS said.
Austin-Travis County EMS said it was called to the area but was canceled before it made contact with any patients.