PALM BEACH, Fla. — A Chinese national accused of illegally entering the property at President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort on Palm Beach earlier this week made her first appearance in court Thursday morning and denied knowing what Mar-a-Lago is.
A judge set bond at $2,000 for 56-year-old Lu Jing, and ordered her to not have any contact with Mar-a-Lago, and not get within 1,000 feet of the property.
There is currently a federal immigration hold on Jing, so even if she posts bond, she won't be released from the Palm Beach County Jail for now.
In court on Thursday, Jing, who's being represented by a public defender and needed a Mandarin translator, told the judge she doesn't understand what Mar-a-Lago is.
According to her arrest report, Jing was spotted taking photographs on Mar-a-Lago property around 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday.
The security manager at Mar-a-Lago said Jing tried to enter through the main gate, but was stopped by security and told she had to leave. She then walked about 100 feet away and entered the property through a service driveway, getting approximately 100 yards inside the perimeter.
"Surveillance cameras captured Jing along the inner perimeter wall photographing the property with her cell phone," the arrest report stated.
When security tried to make contact with Jing, she fled the property, but was tracked down a short distance away.
According to her arrest report, "[Jing] balled up her hands into fists, crossed her arms on her chest, began screaming 'No, no no!' and began pulling away from me," when officers tried to detain her.
Jing was eventually handcuffed and taken to the Palm Beach Police Department, where detectives said she refused to answer questions about the pictures she had taken and refused to let police look at her phone.
According to police, Jing's visa was expired.
Jing is facing charges of loitering/prowling and resisting arrest without violence.
In November, another Chinese national, 33-year-old Yujing Zhang, was sentenced to 8 months behind bars for lying her way onto Mar-a-Lago property back in March. Zhang is currently awaiting deportation and is being held at the Glades County Detention Center.
President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are expected to travel to Mar-a-Lago on Friday and spend Christmas and New Year's on Palm Beach.
