The neighbor of a Connecticut woman arrested near the Capitol says she believes the woman was there to celebrate the inauguration, not harm it.

U.S. Capitol Police arrested 63-year-old Linda MaGovern of Stratford, who they say claimed to be a law enforcement officer and fled police on Saturday.

Maryann Lichtenberger, a neighbor of MaGovern's, says she thinks MaGovern was there to celebrate the inauguration since she is a staunch Democrat.

"She is very passionate for the Democratic Party," Lichtenberger said. "She has been talking about the new regime coming in and wanting to be part of it."

In a news release, police say MaGovern was stopped at a security checkpoint set up ahead of Inauguration Day. She presented "what was identified as a military challenge coin, and stated that she was a law enforcement officer," police say.

When officers asked for her driver's license, she allegedly fled in her vehicle.

MaGovern was stopped nearby and was taken for a psychiatric evaluation.

Lichtenberger says she believes her love for the Democratic Party, along with mental health issues, is why MaGovern now faces charges ahead of the presidential inauguration.

Those charges include false impersonation of a law enforcement officer, failure to obey an officer and fleeing a law enforcement officer.

MaGovern's arrest comes as tensions remain high in Washington, D.C. with law enforcement bracing for potential violence following the Jan. 6 insurrection. But Lichtenberger stresses her neighbor would never hurt anyone.

Stratford police say they have never arrested MaGovern, but they previously made contact with her for a welfare check and a domestic incident.