Deputies: Homeless woman arrested after airport truck theft

BELLINGHAM – A homeless woman reportedly broke into Bellingham International Airport in Washington state and stole a Horizon Airlines truck before driving off airport property in the vehicle, deputies said.

Whatcom County deputies located the 32-year-old woman Tuesday with the truck before she was arrested the next day on multiple charges including burglary, theft of a motor vehicle and possession of a stolen vehicle, the Bellingham Herald reported.

Jail records show she was released later Wednesday on personal recognizance.

Deputies were called to the airport after security personnel noticed an unauthorized vehicle driving on airport property, Sheriff Chief Deputy Kevin Hester said.

Video surveillance shows a woman enter the airport near the general aviation terminal and walk to the Alaska/Horizon flight operations area before a truck was seen driving out of the same area, around the taxi ramp and leaving the airport, Hester said.

Deputies learned of the vehicle’s whereabouts after a resident who had heard the initial call on an emergency broadcast scanner reported seeing a Chevrolet truck with “Horizon” written on the side about 20 miles north of the airport, Hester said.

Hester said the woman admitted to entering the airport property and to taking the truck to meet a friend, but said her father owned the airport and gave her permission to use the truck.

The Port of Bellingham did not comment because airport security and communication is federally protected, but Aviation Director Sunil Harman told the Herald the trespass was detected and the suspect arrested.