"The suspect drove here from California," US Capitol Police said in a statement, adding that investigators were looking into the man's background to try to understand his motives for arriving in the city.
US Capitol Police arrested a driver transporting a guillotine through the streets of Washington, D.C. earlier this week, the force said in a statement.
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A 35-year-old suspect named as Philan-Tam-Duy Le of Julian, California, was arrested and charged with "carrying a dangerous weapon," according to police.
The man's pickup truck, which was illegally parked, was spotted by officers shortly after 3:00 pm on Tuesday along the 100 block of East Capitol Street, a major road running through the heart of Capitol Hill.
"The suspect drove here from California. USCP investigators are going through the suspect’s background to learn more about why he came to Washington, DC.," the statement added.
Images shared by US Capitol Police on its website and social media show what appears to be a full-scale, wooden guillotine sitting in the back of a stationary pickup truck. It is unclear whether the device, which officers seized, was operational.