ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — An Everett man is accused of stealing an airport vehicle and crashing it on the tarmac in Southern California.
The 26-year-old suspect allegedly breached a gate at John Wayne Airport Tuesday night, stole a tug, and slammed into another vehicle at approximately 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Air traffic controllers told pilots nearby about the situation.
“Looks like someone stole a tug,” an air traffic controller said via radio communications. “It was security breached the airport. Someone stole a tug, so they pretty much shut down. Black ground stop in effect.”
No official ground stop was issued, but flights were briefly halted, according to ABC 7. Despite the chaotic incident, it didn’t affect overall airport operations.
The man was heading to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) on a Delta flight. Authorities said he then tried to steal an American Airlines lavatory truck before Airport Police Services arrested him.
The incident occurred near Gate 7 at John Wayne Airport, and authorities had to shut it down for roughly 10 minutes.
Authorities then transported the suspect to a local hospital for evaluation.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.