SEATTLE- Arrested for the second time within three days at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), a 33-year-old woman tried to enter restricted areas without appropriate paperwork.
The episode reflects a growing trend of security lapses at one of the largest transportation centers in the Pacific Northwest.
Delta Stowaway Caught Again
Following her first arrest on Christmas Eve for violating TSA screening procedures, law enforcement officials arrested the woman at around 10 p.m. on December 27 King5 said.
From past Christmas Eve incident camera film, an attentive officer recognized her during the second visit.
The suspect said she meant to meet her sister when asked why she was at the airport. She did not, however, present any official flight records or airline information to support her account.
When challenged with surveillance data from her past breach, she admitted her identity but tried to minimize the importance by saying she had already been arrested for that event.
Charges of first-degree criminal trespassing have followed from the weight of these ongoing security breaches. Under present law, this infraction entails heavy fines, including possible 364-day incarceration, cash penalties totaling $5,000, or both punitive actions.
How It Can Happen?
Examining closely exposes the technique used in a major security breach at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Christmas Eve whereby a 33-year-old woman effectively passed many security layers without appropriate identification.
By diving under a stanchion divider, the suspect completed a deliberate move at the security checkpoint, therefore avoiding conventional screening protocols. She went passed metal detection and entered restricted areas without a boarding permit.
Authorities of Port of Seattle saw strange behavior prior to the hack. Clearing security, the suspect tried to board many aircraft before focusing on Delta Air Lines (DL) Flight 487. Shadowing a valid passenger at gate B1, surveillance video caught her illegal access to the jet bridge.
After spotting the unticketed passenger in the taxi, law enforcement reacted at roughly 1 p.m. Claiming to have arrived in Seattle by train to see her boyfriend, the suspect said he had bought her ticket and walked her through the airport. Officials turned up no data to substantiate these assertions.
Comprehensive safety procedures set off by the security breach called for the 200 passengers to be evacuated for a K-9 bomb detection sweep. Eventually leaving at 3 p.m., the Honolulu-bound flight suffered a two-hour delay.
TSA started looking at the situation independently. Emphasizing their dedication to safety procedures in removing the illegal person, Delta Airlines apologized to impacted travelers.
Among the several counts the subject faces are criminal trespassing and false statement provision to public officials. She has a court-ordered mental health assessment set to evaluate her state of affairs.