UPDATE — The man who was found naked in the Minnesota Senate chamber Friday night has been arrested after returning to the Capitol grounds for a third time.
The Department of Public Safety (DPS) said Dominic Terrell Peace, 36, was taken into custody by state troopers just before 7:30 p.m. Saturday. He is being held in the Ramsey County jail awaiting extradition in connection with an arrest warrant from Wisconsin. State Patrol officials worked throughout the day with Wisconsin officials on the extradition issue, DPS said in a news release.
“The State Patrol continues to investigate how Peace came to be in the Capitol after public hours Friday evening. The State Patrol will be conducting a comprehensive review to determine how this happened and make any necessary updates to Capitol security protocols,” the release said.
House Speaker Lisa Demuth said she is grateful that Peace is in custody but noted that “it should not take three incidents in 24 hours to finally be booked.”
“In this environment of heightened security, we need to be even more vigilant, not less,” she said.
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A man experiencing apparent “mental health concerns” was “found disrobed” in the Minnesota Senate chamber late Friday night.
That’s according to an email sent to state representatives by Minnesota House Chief Sergeant at Arms Lori Hodapp, who said the incident occurred around 11:30 p.m.
Hodapp said the man made statements “indicating a belief that he was the governor” and was “found disrobed.” Capitol security responded and the man was transported to Regions Hospital for evaluation. The man was “deemed non-threatening to himself or others” and was released.
BREAKING: Man appears to break into Minnesota State Capitol twice in 8 hours. He was released from Regions Hospital after the first contact last night.
The following letter was sent to Minnesota House members: pic.twitter.com/XVHMVP21yG
— Liz Collin (@lizcollin) July 26, 2025
However, “he returned to the Capitol grounds this morning, Saturday, at approximately 7:30 a.m.”
Hodapp said an investigation is currently underway to determine how the man gained access to the Senate chamber and Capitol facilities after hours. “We are examining all aspects of this incident to address any security concerns,” Hodapp said.
“While an active probation violation warrant from Wisconsin was on record, it did not initially authorize a custodial transfer. Through coordination with relevant agencies, the warrant status has since been updated, and appropriate measures will be taken upon next contact,” she added.
The incident comes amid growing concerns about security at the Minnesota Capitol Building following last month’s assassination of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark at their Brooklyn Park home, and the shooting of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette.
“The recent heartbreaking events highlight the urgent need to reexamine security measures within the Capitol Complex,” Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher wrote in a letter earlier this month.
Hodapp said additional updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.
“It’s frustrating that an individual with a criminal history was able to allegedly vandalize the Capitol and unlawfully trespass in the Senate chamber without being taken into custody,” House Speaker Lisa Demuth said in a statement. “Anyone who trespasses in any building — let alone the State Capitol — should be arrested and prosecuted for breaking the law, and I look forward to learning why this did not take place in this highly disturbing incident.”
“I’m disappointed to learn that a major security breach occurred on Friday night and Saturday morning,” added Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson. “We are living in a heightened threat environment. I expect the State Patrol and Capitol Security teams will thoroughly review what happened and give Capitol officials and staff, and the public, their assurances that this will not happen again.”
In response to an inquiry from Alpha News, Minnesota State Patrol Col. Christina Bogojevic said:
“Around 11:30 p.m. Friday, Capitol Security was alerted through an alarm system that a man was in the Capitol after hours.
When Capitol Security reached the man, he was naked and nonviolent and it was quickly determined that he needed a mental health evaluation.
He was taken to Regions Hospital for that evaluation. It is our understanding that Regions Hospital released the man.
Around 7:30 a.m. Saturday, the man was again seen on Capitol grounds, not inside the Capitol itself.
Again, the man was nonviolent and was taken to Regions Hospital for mental health evaluation.
There are no indications at this time that the man broke into the Capitol. We are in the process of reviewing any video to determine his exact whereabouts while he was inside the building.
The safety and well-being of everyone who works at and visits the Capitol is our top priority. We take this situation seriously and are committed to understanding how it occurred.”
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
