A 33-year-old woman was arrested at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on December 27 for trespassing, just three days after being detained for boarding a Delta flight without a ticket.
According to court documents, police encountered the woman inside the airport around 10 p.m. on December 27. She claimed to be picking up her sister but could not provide a valid ticket or airline details. An officer recognized her from surveillance footage of the earlier incident on Christmas Eve, where she bypassed Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening to board a plane.
When confronted with the footage, the woman admitted, "Yes, that is me, but I was already arrested for that." She was charged with first-degree criminal trespassing, which carries a maximum penalty of 364 days in jail, a $5,000 fine, or both.

Christmas Eve Incident

On December 24, the woman bypassed TSA screening by cutting in line and ducking under a divider. She passed through a metal detector and accessed the secure side of the airport without showing an ID or boarding pass.
Security footage revealed she attempted to board multiple flights before successfully sneaking onto Delta Flight 487, which was taxiing to the runway when the breach was discovered. The woman had followed another passenger through the gate checkpoint to access the jet bridge.
The flight, bound for Honolulu, was forced to return to the gate, where all 200 passengers were deboarded so a K-9 team could conduct a security sweep. The plane ultimately departed at 3 p.m., causing significant delays.
The woman was arrested in a restroom shortly after the incident and charged with criminal trespass. She told police she had traveled to Seattle via Amtrak to visit her boyfriend, who she claimed had purchased her ticket. However, officials could not verify the existence of a ticket.

Airport Security Response

TSA is independently reviewing the breach, while the Port of Seattle has pledged to work with airlines and TSA to prevent similar incidents. Delta issued a statement apologizing to passengers for the delay and commending its staff for removing the unticketed passenger.
The woman now faces charges for criminal trespassing and making a false statement to a public servant. She is also scheduled to undergo a mental health evaluation.
(Source: Court documents and Port of Seattle)