Cleaning Crew Catches Intruder on Parked Plane at California Airport, Cops Say
Aug. 30—A cleaning crew aboard an American Airlines jet parked at Los Angeles International Airport early Sunday helped catch an intruder, police in California say.
The man used a pipe to pry open an airport fence so he could squeeze underneath it, then walked across the tarmac and boarded the jet at 4:45 a.m., KABC reported.
Workers cleaning the airliner challenged the 31-year-old intruder and notified airport police, who arrested him, KCBS reported. Airport security reinspected the plane after the incident.
The man, who faces trespassing charges, was taken for a psychiatric evaluation, KABC reported.
"For someone to just walk down there so easily is definitely concerning," airport visitor Lindsey Weiker told KCBS.
A security breach Aug. 20 at John Wayne Airport in Orange County evacuated part of the airport, McClatchy News reported.
A 51-year-old man was later found hiding in a ceiling inside the airport, officials said. He'd earlier been spotted driving an airport vehicle on the tarmac.
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