- Marilyn Hartman was arrested at a Chicago airport for sneaking onto a plane and flying to London
- The 66-year-old woman, nicknamed ‘serial stowaway’, was able to sneak past a TSA checkpoint before getting on a British Airways flight
- She’s charged with felony theft and a misdemeanor count of criminal trespassing
- Hartman has been detained several times across the country for trying to board flights without a pass
An elderly woman, nicknamed ‘serial stowaway’ for repeatedly sneaking onto airplanes, was arrested at a Chicago airport after getting all the way to London – with no boarding pass or passport.
Chicago Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Marilyn Hartman was flown back to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Thursday night and taken into custody once she arrived.
She’s charged with felony theft and a misdemeanor count of criminal trespassing.
Marilyn Hartman, 66, was arrested on Thursday at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport for sneaking onto a plane and flying to London
It’s believed she spent nearly 24 hours at the airport before she boarded the flight with no ticket
Hartman has been charged with felony theft and a misdemeanor count of criminal trespassing
Guglielmi said the 66-year-old woman got through a federal Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at a domestic terminal without a ticket before taking a shuttle to the international terminal.
Hartman was arrested in the past for similar incidents
It’s believed she spent nearly 24 hours inside the airport before boarding a British Airways flight to London.
According to NBC5, police think Hartman was able to get on the plane by mixing in with a large group.
Once on the plane, flight attendants realized she didn’t have a ticket and alerted authorities. British Customs officials refused to let her enter London and made arrangements for her to fly back to Chicago.
TSA said its investigating how she was able to get through security, the Chicago Tribune reports.
‘During the initial investigation it was determined that the passenger was screened at the security checkpoint before boarding a flight,’ a statement read. ‘Upon learning of the incident TSA, and its aviation partners took immediate action to review security practices throughout the airport.’
Hartman has been detained several times across the country for trying to board flights without a pass. In December 2015, she told NBC5 that she ‘may have’ boarded planes without a ticket eight times.
She’s expected to appear in court on Saturday.