A man who managed to live inside an airport for three months without detection has been charged with trespassing.
Aditya Singh, 36, arrived at the O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on October 19 and has allegedly lived inside the airport’s security zone ever since.
He claims he was too afraid of Covid to fly back to Los Angeles, California, where he initially flew to Chicago from, according to police.
Singh, from Orange, Los Angeles, was arrested on Saturday after two United Airlines employees approached him and asked to see his identification. Attorney Kathleen Hagerty said Singh lowered his face mask and showed the airline workers an airport ID badge around his neck, reports the Chicago Tribute.
The badge Singh was wearing actually belonged to an operations manager who reported it missing October 26.
Hagerty said Singh apparently found the badge in the airport and said he was ‘scared to go home due to Covid’.
Following his arrest Singh was charged with felony criminal trespass to a restricted area of an airport and misdemeanor theft.
Speaking at Singh’s initial court appearance yesterday, Cook County Judge, Susana Ortiz, said: ‘You’re telling me that an unauthorized, nonemployee individual was allegedly living within a secure part of the O’Hare airport terminal from October 19 2020, to January 16 2021, and was not detected? I want to understand you correctly.’
Singh has a masters degree and no criminal background according to assistant public defender, Courtney Smallwood.
She acknowledged the circumstances were unusual but noted the allegations were nonviolent, in defense of Singh. It’s unclear what brought Singh to Chicago and if he has any ties to the area.
Judge Ortiz added: ‘The court finds these facts and circumstances quite shocking for the alleged period of time that this occurred.
‘Being in a secured part of the airport under a fake ID badge allegedly, based upon the need for airports to be absolutely secure so that people feel safe to travel, I do find those alleged actions do make him a danger to the community.’
As a condition of bail, Ortiz barred Singh from stepping foot in the airport again if he is able to post the $1,000 he needs for his release. He is due back in court January 27.
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