***The video above is from a previous report.***
CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team revealed a security breach at Hopkins Airport went unnoticed for three hours, and now the airport has released a statement calling it a “timely response.”
Last month, police say a worker found a woman inside an aircraft maintenance building.
Court records show April Ford had been in a restricted area for three hours before getting discovered. The worker contacted police and they made an arrest.
For weeks, the I-Team has asked the airport to explain how the intruder got past security unnoticed.
Now, the airport has released a statement saying, in part, “CLE has many layers of safety and security established to mitigate risks and allow for a timely response. That is what occurred in this situation.”
We’ve followed up to ask the airport to explain how a security breach unnoticed for hours is “timely.”
The airport also refuses to tell us what the intruder did to get past security unnoticed.
The statement just released says, “Matters such as this include Sensitive Security Information (SSI). Discussing details outside of the information already provided could potentially compromise the airport’s security measures. In regards to the incident you are inquiring about, we do not have any further information to offer, as the matter has been addressed through the appropriate law enforcement entities.”
Cuyahoga County prosecutors have indicted Ford for breaking and entering and theft.
Police say she ate food in the break room of that maintenance building, went through drawers and went through vehicles. In fact, a police report shows the woman ate as much as two gallons of ice cream.
“We will again reiterate that safety and security at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) is always our priority for passengers, employees, and those who work in the airport environment,” the new statement from Hopkins Airport said. “Fence lines are not designed to be impenetrable. The intent is that they are a deterrent to unauthorized access.”
Passengers we met just after the incident did not describe the response to the security breach as “timely.”