A “35-year-old member of the military” was arrested by Port of San Diego Harbor Police Department after an apparent airplane issue.
John Stea, now faces a pair of charges for what he allegedly did on a Hawaiian Airlines flight: making a false bomb threat and making a false report of a security threat.
“On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, the suspect was onboard Hawaiian Airlines flight 15 when he told a flight attendant the passenger next to him had a bomb,” port authorities announced. “The flight attendant informed the captain of the plane about the potential threat as the flight was pulling away from the jetway and getting ready to depart the San Diego International Airport to Honolulu, Hawaii.
“At approximately 8:45 a.m., the Port of San Diego Harbor Police Maritime Tactical Team (MARTAC, also known as SWAT), K-9 Team, and Joint Terrorism Task Force, along with the San Diego Fire Department and multiple federal agencies, responded to the scene to search the aircraft and its contents.
“The plane captain had taxied to a safe location on the airfield. All 293 people onboard were deplaned and transported by bus to a safe area. K-9s cleared the aircraft including all carry-on