[ad_1]
CHICAGO – A California man who told police the coronavirus pandemic left him scared to fly has been arrested for hiding in a secure area at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport for three months.
Aditya Singh, 36, is charged with felony trespassing in a restricted area of an airport and theft after her arrest on Saturday. In a court hearing on Sunday, a judge ruled the Orange, Calif. Man could be released if he paid $ 1,000, but said Singh was prohibited from setting foot in the airport.
On Monday morning, Singh remained in the Cook County Jail.
Deputy Public Defender Courtney Smallwood said Singh did not have a criminal record. She also said it was not clear why Singh, who is unemployed, came to Chicago or if he has ties to the area.
During the hearing, Assistant State Attorney Kathleen Hagerty said Singh was spotted by two United Airlines employees, who asked him for identification, the Chicago Tribune reported. Singh took off his mask and showed a badge that actually belonged to an airport operations manager who reported her missing in late October, Hagerty said.
The employees called the police, who took Singh into custody. Singh was “scared to go home because of Covid,” Hagerty said, and told authorities he found the badge and other passengers at the airport gave him food.
Prior to giving Singh bail, Cook County Judge Susana Ortiz was clearly troubled that someone could stay in a secure area for so long at the airport without anyone noticing.
“The court finds these facts and circumstances quite shocking for the alleged period in which this occurred,” the judge 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.
Singh is due to return to court on January 27.
[ad_2]
Source link