Suspect found on ceiling, arrested after OC’s John Wayne Airport was locked out

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) – The suspect who prompted Orange County’s John Wayne Airport to be locked out on Friday night, temporarily halting all air traffic in the area, has been arrested.

The man somehow breached airport security and ended up on the tarmac, in a secure area that only airport employees should access, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Authorities say the suspect took control of an airport vehicle and drove it outside Terminal C – before abandoning the vehicle and disappearing.

Containment put in place around 6 p.m. prevented the planes from taking off and several could be seen lined up on the runway. Passengers outside the airport appeared to be sitting on the sidewalk waiting for the lock to be lifted.

A helicopter from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department also flew over the runways. A police dog was also brought in to assist in the search of the terminal area.

After a search of the airport, the suspect was eventually located inside an attic in the ceiling of a terminal. The authorities discouraged him and he was taken into police custody.

The airport then tweeted that the terminal had reopened and passengers were being processed at security checkpoints, although officials noted that delays and flight cancellations were expected.