Orange County sheriff’s deputies apprehend suspect in airport closure, evacuation

Authorities in Orange County took a man into custody they believe to be responsible for a security breach that prompted an evacuation at John Wayne Airport on Friday night.

In a statement shortly before 10:30 p.m., the Orange County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the man, who wasn’t identified, was in custody.

The incident began around 5:30 p.m. when an airport employee saw the man on the airfield in a secure area only accessible to employees, the Sheriff’s Department said.

The man stole an airport vehicle and drove it onto the airfield outside Terminal C, where he stopped near a gate and tried to get into a secure area, the Sheriff’s Department said.

The airport employee lost sight of the man and notified emergency personnel, the Sheriff’s Department said.

Airport officials activated their emergency response system and Terminal C was placed on lockdown, the Sheriff’s Department said. The terminal was evacuated around 6 p.m., and authorities swept the facility and airfield.

“The man was later located in the ceiling on the non-secure side of the terminal,” the Sheriff’s Department said. “He was taken into custody without further incident and will be booked into Orange County Jail.”

The Sheriff’s Department and airport staff will investigate how the man got onto the airfield and will try and identify him, according to the statement.