PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is under scrutiny following two security breaches in about a month.
On Monday, just before 6 p.m., police arrested 34-year-old Jaime Mendoza after he ran toward a plane on a runway and removed his shoes.
According to court documents, Mendoza was driving along an airport road when he got out of his car and climbed over a fence, making his way onto the runway.
During air traffic control audio, controllers noted Mendoza was waving his arms and was on his knees, begging before being placed in handcuffs.
Mendoza is currently facing additional charges for being a prohibited possessor after police searched his car and found a gun, court docs say. He is also facing a criminal trespassing charge.
“There are signs up there that advise you of the consequences, breaking federal law, et cetera,” Karl de la Guerra said. He is an international security consultant who has worked in security management at Sky Harbor and other airports.
“However, if you really think about it, it’s simply based on the fact that no one should jump the fence. There’s really no one there to immediately stop you from doing that,” he said.
In January, federal court documents say Qais Ahmad Tillawi abandoned a rental car curbside at Terminal 4, made his way through TSA security and boarded a flight to Paris — all without a valid boarding pass.
“I’m not saying that complacency was necessarily the case here, but I have seen it myself personally, where complacency will set in. Printing out the tickets, pushing them on, the individual comes up to the security checkpoint, okay, they have a ticket, glance, glance, pass it through, send them on their way,” De la Guerra said.
It’s not a new problem. Airports are not impenetrable. In 2005, during a police chase, a man drove on the taxiway at Sky Harbor before crashing the stolen truck into a fence.
De la Guerra added that such incidents are likely more common than what makes the news, but said he does not believe Sky Harbor has a systemic security problem.
“Number one it’s a learning experience. Do I believe there’s necessarily a security problem at Sky Harbor Airport? No, I don’t,” he said.
“The safety and security of airport customers and employees is always our top priority. While specific airport security procedures are not released, we work closely with our law enforcement partners and other pertinent stakeholders to employ multiple layers of security throughout our airport system,” said Monica Hernandez, a spokesperson for Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
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