Passenger arrested after stealing tug at John Wayne Airport

A passenger waiting for a Delta Air Lines flight was arrested Tuesday after leaving the terminal at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, taking an Alaska Airlines tug and crashing it near Gate 7, according to airport officials. He then tried to take an American Airlines lavatory service truck before police detained him. Airport spokesperson AnnaSophia Servin said the man went through an access point at Gate 12 at about 5:30 p.m. and drove the tug across the airfield. The vehicle struck another vehicle near Gate 7. Airport officials said the passenger then approached the lavatory truck, but Airport Police Services stopped him and took him into custody. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department identified the arrested man as Jay Barr, 26, and said he faced charges including vehicle theft, trespassing and vandalism. The available accounts do not establish what prompted him to leave the terminal. Authorities have not disclosed the extent of his injuries; airport officials said he was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. The incident prompted a response on the airfield and a temporary closure of the Gate 7 area, which an airport spokesperson said lasted about 10 minutes.