PALM BEACH, Fla. — A South Florida woman was arrested on Tuesday after police said she entered a closed Secret Service checkpoint near President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, a move that escalated into a pursuit that resulted in an arrest and a dog that was fatally shot.
According to Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office online booking records, Alexa Rae Scharf, 29, of Loxahatchee, was arrested Tuesday. She was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a vehicle, one count of felony fleeing and one count of resisting an officer without violence.
A final paragraph in an arrest affidavit states that Scharf was also charged with three counts of resisting an officer with violence, WPEC reported.
A probable cause affidavit states that Scharf drove a gray Hyundai SUV into a closed checkpoint at the Bath & Tennis Club’s west parking lot in Palm Beach, located approximately two-tenths of a mile from Mar-a-Lago, at about 6:05 p.m. ET, according to the television station.
According to the affidavit, Scharf allegedly parked her vehicle next to the vehicle-screening tents, exited her vehicle and turned on a hose, WPEC reported.
MAR-A-LAGO TRESPASSER | A woman was arrested at Mar-a-Lago after police say she nearly hit a Secret Service agent and police captain, sparking a standoff in which her dog was shot and killed.
— WPEC CBS12 News (@CBS12) August 26, 2026
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No one was authorized to enter the area at that time, according to investigators.
When a Secret Service agent approached Scharf and asked who she was, the woman allegedly said, “I’m here for the car wash,” WPEC reported.
When the agent attempted to photograph the SUV’s license plate to see if the vehicle was authorized to be at the checkpoint, Scharf allegedly returned to the driver’s seat, ignored commands to stop and drove toward the agent, according to the television station.
The agent was forced to move out of the way, and Scharf allegedly drove away, according to the affidavit.
Minutes later, the agent discovered the vehicle outside an oceanfront estate approximately a half mile from the checkpoint, WPEC reported.
Scharf had been walking around the property, but entered the vehicle, which had its motor running, as Palm Beach police officers and deputies from the sheriff’s department ordered her to get out, according to the television station.
According to the affidavit, another chase ensued, with law enforcement officers forced to dodge Scharf’s vehicle. She was eventually stopped.
The affidavit said that officers ultimately opened the driver’s door, removed Scharf and took her into custody.
Palm Beach police told WPEC that when Scharf was removed, a pit bull inside the vehicle jumped over her and bit an officer.
An officer shot the dog twice.
Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control and a veterinarian attempted to treat the dog, but the canine died, according to the television station.
Police said an initial on-scene investigation found no policy violations. The officer who shot the dog has not been placed on administrative leave.
The Secret Service declined comment, according to WPEC. An investigation is ongoing.
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