A 25-year-old homeless man was facing possible criminal charges Saturday for allegedly sneaking into a Van Nuys Airport hangar and vandalizing the interior of an executive jet, which sustained about $5,000 in damage.
The man hid behind a vehicle entering a security gate controlled by a private leaseholder about 4:25 p.m. Thursday and entered the plane once inside the airport, according to Officer Rob Pedregon of the Los Angeles Airport Police.
“A short time later the suspect was discovered smoking onboard a Gulfstream G4 aircraft parked inside a hangar near Woodley Avenue and Saticoy Street,” Pedregon said.
“When the suspect was confronted by employees, he extinguished his cigarette in a bandana causing the bandana to smolder and causing an estimated $5,000 in damage to the interior of the aircraft.”
Airport police arrested the man, who was booked at the LAPD’s Van Nuys Station.
His name has not been released.
–City News Service