Naked intruder at Minnesota Capitol faces felony burglary charge originally appeared on Bring Me The News.
A burglary charge has been filed against a man who was allegedly found naked inside the Minnesota Capitol and trespassed on its grounds two more times over the weekend.
Dominic Terrell Peace, 36, of Minneapolis, is charged with 2nd-degree burglary in a government building, a felony offense, according to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday.
Ramsey County prosecutors allege that Peace used a wooden wedge to prop open an exterior mechanical door to the Capitol on Friday, July 25 around 2:30 p.m., when the building was open to the public, which allowed him to gain access after hours that evening.
According to the complaint, Capitol security guards found Peace, who was naked and nonviolent, in the Senate chamber around 11:30 p.m. Friday and alerted Minnesota State Patrol troopers, one of whom noted that desk drawers appeared to have been rummaged through.
Peace allegedly told officers that he's the governor, that the Capitol is his house, and that he's lived there all his life. Authorities state he appeared to be in an "altered state of mind."
Officers escorted Peace outside to be taken by medics to a hospital for a mental health evaluation. He was later released after he was deemed non-threatening to himself or others.
Peace is accused of returning to the Capitol grounds around 7:30 a.m. on Saturday. He was taken to the hospital for another mental health evaluation, and again released, though State Patrol says it planned to take him into custody that morning.
State Patrol troopers arrested Peace on Saturday just before 7:30 p.m. when he returned to the Capitol for the third time, according to the complaint.
Peace is currently being held in the Ramsey County Jail and is awaiting extradition in connection with a Wisconsin arrest warrant.
State Patrol provides 24/7 security at throughout the Capitol's 20-building campus. The department plans to hire a third-party to conduct a security assessment and take additional measures to improve security throughout the Capitol complex.
Minnesota lawmakers have voices concern over the intrusion at the Capitol, especially on the heels of the June 14 assassination of state Rep. Melissa Hortman, who was shot and killed in her Brooklyn Park home along with her husband, Mark.
Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth said in a statement that it should not have taken three incidents in 24 hours for the intruder to be taken into custody.
"In this environment of heightened security, we need to be even more vigilant, not less … 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," she said.
DFL Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy called the security breach "deeply troubling and unacceptable."
"The safety of those who work and serve in the Capitol is a top priority, and this incident raises serious concerns," she said in a statement. "We need answers and we will get them.”
This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
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