Florida man armed with AK-47 arrested at VA preschool, said he was headed to CIA

A Florida man was arrested after he trespassed at a Virginia preschool with an AK-47 and a significant amount of ammo while on his way to the CIA, police said on Wednesday. 

Eric Sandow, 32, was caught at the Dolley Madison Preschool in McLean, where he told a police officer that “he was making his way to the CIA,” according to a statement from the Fairfax County Police Department. The CIA’s headquarters are located about one mile away from the preschool. 

According to a statement from the school, “he requested access to the building facilities to use the restroom, which was denied by school staff,” who called the police. 

The suspect was detained by officers, who also executed a search warrant on his vehicle, where they found two firearms, the statement added. Sandow was found carrying an AK-47 rifle, a handgun, several magazines, and ammunition. The department shared a picture of the recovered weapons on Twitter. 

Yesterday, our officers took an AK-47 off the streets after a man was trespassing at the Dolly Madison Preschool in McLean. Officers found the unarmed man who said he was making his way to the CIA. #FCPD pic.twitter.com/l3Vdo12Ks8

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD) May 24, 2023

Sandow was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm on school property, according to the Fairfax County Police Department. He is currently being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center without bond.

Police have not disclosed why Sandow had so many weapons inside his vehicle. 

“At no point did he gain physical entrance to the school building,” the school said in a statement. “We are grateful for the swift response of the Fairfax County Police Department.”  

Sandow’s arrest comes after a 19-year-old on Monday rammed a U-Haul truck into the security barriers of the White House, about nine miles away from the preschool. The suspect, identified as Sai Varsith Kandula, allegedly exited the vehicle after the crash and began waving a flag with a swastika before he was arrested. Kandula told police that he had planned to kill the president and take control of the government.