A vandal who broke into Washington State’s capitol building has been caught on camera trashing rooms and causing “significant damage” to historical artefacts.
Video shared by the State Department of Enterprise Services shows the individual breaking through the ground-floor windows of the Legislative Building, before making his way through multiple different floors, where he “damaged several facilities”
He also lit a fire in the state reception room, which Governor Bob Ferguson said “is a particularly important space”, by setting multiple flags ablaze.
The vandal was taken into custody by Washington State Patrol on Monday (6 October).
The man has a history of mental health challenges, said Chris Loftis, spokesperson for the Washington State Patrol.
“The suspect’s actions were very purposeful at the Capitol but appears to be an individual experiencing a mental health crisis of some sort,” Mr Loftis said in an email to The Associated Press.
