An airline passenger stole an airfield tug and attempted to steal a lavatory truck Tuesday night after breaching a gate at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, authorities said.
The unusual series of events unfolded at about 5:30 p.m. when the Delta Airlines passenger breached terminal Gate 12 and entered the airfield. The man stole the Alaska Airlines tug, crashed it into another vehicle near Gate 7 and tried to steal an American Airlines lavatory truck, airport officials said.
The tug is one of several vehicles used for airfield operations. The heavy-duty vehicle can push and pull aircraft or baggage carts.
He was taken into custody by Airport Police Services and transported to a hospital for evaluation. The 26-year-old Everett, Washington man was arrested on charges related to vehicle theft, trespassing and vandalism, according to Orange County Sheriff’s Department jail records.
The man had been booked on a Delta Airlines flight to Seattle.
Airport operations were not impacted, authorities said.
