An Indian national has been arrested and charged in connection with a security breach at LaGuardia Airport, that led to the evacuation of a busy terminal at the airport earlier this week.
The man, identified as 41-year-old Phani Kumar Varanasi, had entered into a secure area of Terminal B at the airport through a guarded exit on May 23. He told police that he was confused about where to go and had wandered into the restricted area at the terminal. His trespassing had caused a security scare and led to evacuation of the busy terminal, the New York Daily News said.
The transportation security administration (TSA) said Varanasi, who has no criminal record, spent five minutes in the “sterile area” before returning to the public space through the same exit.
He was identified by police through surveillance video and a list of passengers aboard the flight. A video obtained by the Daily News showed Varanasi walking directly past a TSA security employee. The report also said police contacted Varanasi to come in for an interview and arrested him after he voluntarily appeared.
