Aditya Singh had been living in a secure area at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport since October 19, the Chicago Tribune reported.
A 36-year-old Indian-origin man was arrested from Chicago International airport as he was afraid of the coronavirus pandemic and did not fly amidst the scare. He lived in a secure area at the airport for around three months, US authorities said. Aditya Singh lives in a suburb of Los Angeles, California, was arrested on Saturday for living in a secure area at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport since October 19, the Chicago Tribune reported on Sunday. Mr Singh has been charged with felony criminal trespass to a restricted area of an airport and misdemeanour theft, the report said.
Singh arrived at the airport on a flight from Los Angeles on October 19 and had been living in the airport's security zone area since then without being detected. He was arrested when two United Airlines staff questioned him and asked for his identification. Singh showed them a badge which reportedly belonged to an operations manager. The manager had reported about his missing badge in October. Assistant State Attorney Kathleen Hagerty said that he found the badge in the airport and was "scared to go home due to COVID." Hagerty told Cook County Judge Susana Ortiz that Singh had been living on the handouts from other passengers.
Assistant Public Defender Courtney Smallwood told the judge that Singh lives in the Los Angeles suburb of Orange with his roommates and does not have a criminal background. She also said that Singh is unemployed and has a master's degree in hospitality. Smallwood noted that the allegations were non-violent. Singh is due back in court on January 27.
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