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A 36-year-old man from California is said to have stayed at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago for three months, before being arrested by police this weekend.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the man boarded a plane from Los Angeles on October 19 and remained in a security zone at O’Hare until January 16. He is said to have told police that he was afraid of flying due to Covid-19.
It emerged during a court hearing in Chicago on Sunday. According to the newspaper, Judge Susana Ortiz reacted in disbelief when the details were presented.
– Are you telling me that an unauthorized person, who does not work at the airport, must have lived inside the airport from October 19 to January 16 without being detected?
– Fake ID used
According to the police, the man must have survived thanks to the food he received from other travelers.
He was discovered Saturday morning by two United Airlines employees who asked to see his identification. The identity card he showed them belonged to another airport employee and was reported missing at the end of October.
The 36-year-old lives in Los Angeles and has not been previously convicted, according to assistant defense attorney Courtney Smallwood.
He is now charged with illegal stay at the airport and robbery, writes The Guardian. Bail is set at $ 1,000 and, although the case is still under investigation, it was decided that the man will be denied access to the airport.
Judge Susana Ortiz described the case as “shocking.”
– Staying in a secure area at the airport, allegedly under false identification, makes you a danger to the local community.
She justifies it with the fact that people have a great need to feel safe when staying at airports and traveling by plane.
