Police: Man Stole Airport Bus, Drove Across Runways

A man has been arrested after stealing a bus overnight at an airport near Texas A&M University and apparently gaining access to a passenger plane on the tarmac.

Texas A&M police say it's unclear what prompted David Cooper Thurmond of Bryan to enter Easterwood Airport early Saturday morning. Investigators say Thurmond drove his vehicle through a pedestrian gate before taking the 22-seat bus and driving it across runways. The 54-year-old Thurmond was confronted by an airport worker and the two struggled before police arrived.

A review of surveillance video shows Thurmond near an American Eagle airplane. A security seal on the door was found broken. The plane was inspected and its departure to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport delayed three hours.

Thurmond was held Saturday at the Brazos County jail on charges of theft, assault and criminal trespass.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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