Yesterday's incident at the San Diego International Airport led to an arrest after a bomb threat was reported on a Hawaiian Airlines flight. Harbor Police apprehended John Stea, a 35-year-old military personnel, on charges of making a false bomb threat and reporting a false security threat, according to a release by the Port of San Diego.
The scare began when Stea, on Flight 15 bound for Honolulu, told a flight attendant that the passenger next to him had a bomb, which led to immediate action from the crew as they informed the captain. Subsequently, the plane was directed to a remote part of the airfield as the situation escalated.
In response, the Port of San Diego Harbor Police Maritime Tactical Team, K-9 units, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force rolled out, supported by San Diego Fire Department personnel and several federal agencies, as stated by the Port of San Diego. They searched the aircraft and all luggage, but found no evidence of any actual threat.
Eventually, the situation was diffused and all 293 passengers were safely evacuated and after a thorough search of the aircraft by K-9 teams, it was declared safe, airport operations have since returned to normal; nonetheless, this serves as a grave reminder from Harbor Police that false reporting of bomb threats is not only illegal, but also carries significant consequences including potential jail time and fines.
