A bizarre security incident near President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate escalated into a police chase, a smashed gate and an officer being attacked by a dog.
The chaotic encounter began when a Florida woman allegedly drove into a closed Secret Service checkpoint and claimed she believed she had arrived at a car wash.
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What followed involved Secret Service personnel and Palm Beach police pursuing the woman through the area before officers finally managed to stop her vehicle. The confrontation ended with police shooting her pit bull after authorities say the dog attacked and bit an officer attempting to make the arrest.
Alexa Rae Scharf, 29, drove into a closed Secret Service checkpoint near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property Tuesday evening and parked her vehicle beside a security screening tent, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by CBS 12.
Scharf allegedly exited the vehicle and turned on a hose before a Secret Service agent approached and asked who she was.
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“I’m here for the car wash,” Scharf allegedly responded.
The agent attempted to photograph Scharf’s license plate, but authorities say she suddenly returned to the driver’s seat and ignored repeated commands to stop.
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Scharf then allegedly drove toward the Secret Service agent, forcing him to move out of the vehicle’s path to avoid being struck.
Police located the same SUV minutes later at an oceanfront estate approximately half a mile away, where authorities discovered that a large entrance gate had been smashed.
Scharf was initially outside the vehicle but allegedly climbed back inside when police arrived.
Authorities say she then reversed the SUV toward a Palm Beach police captain and another officer before maneuvering between police cruisers and speeding away.
Officers pursued Scharf until the chase eventually reached a driveway, but police say she continued refusing commands to surrender.
Authorities placed stop sticks beneath the SUV’s tires and smashed its rear windshield and rear driver’s-side window while attempting to take Scharf into custody.
The situation then took another dangerous turn when officers opened one of the vehicle’s doors.
Scharf’s pit bull allegedly jumped over her and bit one of the officers attempting to make the arrest, according to Palm Beach police.
An officer responded by opening fire and shooting the dog.
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The wounded pit bull was transported to an animal hospital for treatment but ultimately died from its injuries, police said.
The condition of the officer who was allegedly bitten was not immediately available.
The extraordinary series of events resulted in authorities shutting down the surrounding area for approximately three hours while law enforcement handled the investigation.
Scharf, a resident of Loxahatchee, was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault, felony fleeing and resisting arrest.
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Jail records show she was released early Friday morning after posting a $16,000 bond.
The incident adds to the security concerns surrounding properties associated with Trump and comes amid heightened scrutiny of potential threats involving the president.
However, authorities have not publicly indicated that Scharf was attempting to target Trump or Mar-a-Lago, and the available allegations instead describe an unusual encounter that rapidly escalated after she entered the Secret Service checkpoint.
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Her alleged explanation for being there — that she believed she had arrived for a “car wash” — remains one of the strangest details contained in the charging documents.
What began with that unusual claim quickly developed into a far more serious confrontation involving an allegedly endangered Secret Service agent, a damaged gate, a police pursuit and multiple officers attempting to stop Scharf’s vehicle, The New York Post reported.
It ultimately ended with Scharf under arrest and her dog dead after police say the pit bull attacked and bit an officer.
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