It may be called a runway, but it's not meant for running. A Marine recruit was arrested when he ran across a runway at San Diego International airport, stole a van and then crashed it into a tow cart. The man may have been trying to escape from boot camp.
Police received a call just after 6 a.m. when a fence alarm went off at Lindbergh Field Airport. They then received a report that a marine was running across the runway and towards the terminals, ABC reports.
Lindbergh Field Airport is right next to the San Diego Marine Corps Depot and it is separated by two barbed-wire fences.
Police reported to the runway and discovered the marine inside a janitor's van that he stole. He put the vehicle in reverse and collided into a Southwest airline tow cart which is used for transporting luggage.
When the police found the man, they surrounded the van, told him to get out of it and then handcuffed him.
Police took him to the Naval Medical Center San Diego to receive medical and psychological evaluations. He had gashes on his arms from climbing the fences between the camp and the airport.
The 22-year-old Marine Corps recruit will be charged for stealing the van and trespassing onto the airport. He is currently in the custody of the Marine Corps Police Department.
"The recruit reported to MCRD on Monday, January 14 and was going through initial processing," the San Diego Marine Recruit Depot said in a statement, according to ABC. "He had not begun recruit training."Harbor PD Lt. John Forsythe believes the young man wasn't ready for boot camp so he tried to run away. He said that recruits jumping the fence was a common occurrence in the 1980's and 90's but it rarely happens nowadays.
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