A 24-year-old man was arrested and taken to a Hawaii jail for attempting to steal an air ambulance from the Hilo International Airport (ITO). The man, identified as Gabriel Arjona-Molina, crashed a vehicle through the fence at the airport on Big Island, the Hawaii Police Department tells the press.
Arjona-Molina parked next to a fixed-winged single aircraft used as an air ambulance, got out of his car, and attempted to manually spin the aircraft’s propellers, authorities said. After that, he approached a Beechcraft King Air C90A parked on the ramp that he was able to board through the pull-down latch. He then started both engines before leaving the aircraft.
A witness flagged down a patrol officer to report the situation. Officers arrested Arjona-Molina shortly after.
According to police, Arjona-Molina was arrested on attempted theft in the first degree, criminal property damage in the first degree, unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, and criminal trespassing charges. His bail was set at $37,000.