Man arrested at O’Hare Airport after living there for 3 months because he was afraid of flying due to COVID-19

A man has been arrested at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport for trespassing after allegedly living at the airport for three months.

Aditya Singh has been charged with felony trespassing after being found in a restricted area of ​​the airport, according to the Cook County State Attorney’s Office, CBS Chicago reports. Singh was also charged with theft under $ 500. He appeared in court on Sunday and received $ 10,000 bail. If the deposit is posted, it will be monitored electronically.

Singh told police he was afraid to fly due to the coronavirus pandemic, Assistant State Attorney Kathleen Hagerty told court, The Associated Press reports. When he was discovered at the airport, employees called the police.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Hagerty said Singh told authorities he found an employee ID badge and other airport passengers gave him food.

“So, if I understand you correctly, you are telling me that an unauthorized and self-employed person would have lived in a secure part of the O’Hare airport terminal from October 19, 2020 to January 16, 2021 and was not detected? I understand you correctly, ”Cook County Judge Susana Ortiz said at the hearing.

It’s unclear why Singh, a native of Orange, Calif., Came to Chicago in the first place, Deputy Public Defender Courtney Smallwood said in court. She said Singh did not have a criminal history.

“The tribunal finds these facts and circumstances quite shocking for the alleged period in which this occurred,” Ortiz said. “Being in a secure part of the airport under a fake identity badge allegedly based on the need for airports to be absolutely secure so that people feel safe to travel, I find that these alleged actions make him a danger to the community. “

CBS News has contacted the Cook County District Attorney’s Office for more information and is awaiting a response.