Man attempts to steal plane from airport in Texas

A man with a history of mental illness crashed through a security gate at an airport in the US state of Texas and attempted to steal a plane from the tarmac, police said on Friday.

The suspect, whose identity was withheld, attempted to steal the jet after breaking into a secured area of the Waco Regional Airport about noon yesterday, according to a statement issued by Waco police. 

The man approached a parked Lear Jet that belongs to a local business house and was seen trying to remove the tyre chocks and get into the plane. Texas Aero employees flagged down a Waco police officer who was off-duty and working security at the airport.

The officer approached the man, who was armed with a stick, but he refused to cooperate with the officer’s instructions.