Unauthorized Entry Attempt on Marine Helicopter at Camp Pendleton
A peculiar incident unfolded last week at Camp Pendleton, where a civilian attempted to board a Marine Corps helicopter, according to federal authorities in San Diego. The individual, holding a lit flare, approached the aircraft which was stationed on a landing pad with its rotors in motion and crew inside.
This marks the fourth such intrusion by the 58-year-old man since 2022, as stated in court documents. Although previous trespasses did not result in charges, he is now being prosecuted for misdemeanor trespassing on a military facility.
Following his detention, the man reportedly informed officials that “the State Department sent ‘radio waves’ to his head, telling him to light a flare and board the aircraft,” mentioned a statement from the Marine Corps Criminal Investigation Division.
Legal counsel representing the man has not commented on the matter.
The event took place around 10 p.m. during a training session involving two helicopter crews near a secluded landing pad, located just west of Interstate 5 overlooking the ocean. According to documentation and military logs, a second helicopter crew member observed the man nearing the helicopter on the pad from a low hover.
The presence of the man was also detected by a crew member on the first helicopter, who saw him attempt to come closer and board the craft. The agent noted, “Crew members directed (the man) to go away and (the helicopter) took off at a moment that (he) was at a safe distance for takeoff.”
Marine Corps law enforcement swiftly responded, apprehending the man and discovering two used flares nearby as per court paperwork.
Records indicated the same individual unlawfully entered Camp Pendleton in September 2022, September 2023, and on May 27 of this year. During last week’s arrest, agents reportedly discovered a “U.S. District Court summons” linked to a May 27 trespassing citation in his possession.
As of Tuesday, federal prison logs confirmed the man remains detained, with a detention hearing scheduled for later this week. If convicted, he could face a penalty of up to six months in prison.
In a related case, a San Diego resident recently confessed to two federal charges after twice illegally landing his small aircraft on San Clemente Island, a restricted area under U.S. Navy control. Prosecutors in Los Angeles are anticipated to request a six-month incarceration term.
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