Man tells police drone crash at White House was accidental
By JOSH LEDERMAN and JOAN LOWY, Associated Press
Jan 26, 2015 12:57 PM CST
Secret Service officers search the south grounds of the White House in Washington, Monday, Jan. 26, 2015. A device, possibly an unmanned aerial drone, was found on the White House grounds during the middle of the night while President Barack Obama and the first lady were in India, but his spokesman...   (Associated Press)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A man has come forward to say he was responsible for the drone that crashed early Monday on the White House grounds.

A U.S. official says the man made contact with the Secret Service after reports of the crash spread in the media. The man told the Secret Service that he was using the drone recreationally and didn't mean to fly it over the White House.

The official says the operator of the drone is a Washington resident and that he's cooperating with investigators. Secret Service agents are now interviewing other people to corroborate the man's story. The official says investigators don't currently have any reason to doubt the man's story.

The official wasn't authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation publicly and spoke only on condition of anonymity.

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