Navy technician arrested for allegedly making false bomb threat on Hawaiian Airlines flight

A U.S. Navy technician was identified arsenic the fishy charged with making a mendacious weaponry menace connected committee a Hawaiian Airlines formation preparing to instrumentality disconnected from San Diego. 

The Port of San Diego Harbor Police Department announced that John Stea, 35, was arrested pursuing Tuesday’s incident. 

"The fishy was onboard Hawaiian Airlines formation 15 erstwhile helium told a formation attendant the rider adjacent to him had a bomb. The formation attendant informed the skipper of the level astir the imaginable menace arsenic the formation was pulling distant from the jetway and getting acceptable to depart the San Diego International Airport to Honolulu, Hawaii," it said successful a statement. 

A spokesperson for the U.S. Third Fleet told KITV that "Electronics Technician 1st Class John Stea, assigned to Maritime Expeditionary Security Group One, was arrested by San Diego Harbor Police connected May 20 pursuing an alleged weaponry threat.  

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES FLIGHT DIVERTED ON SAN DIEGO TARMAC OVER POSSIBLE BOMB THREAT; PERSON ARRESTED

A Hawaiian Airlines airplane sits connected the tarmac aft an evacuation connected Tuesday, May 20, 2025 astatine the San Diego International Airport successful San Diego. (AP/Gregory Bull)

"The information of the nationalist and our unit is of utmost value to the Navy. We instrumentality each threats earnestly and are cooperating afloat with section and national authorities," the spokesperson added. 

U.S. Third Fleet did not instantly respond Wednesday to a petition for remark from Fox News Digital. 

"The Port of San Diego Harbor Police Maritime Tactical Team, K-9 Team, and Joint Terrorism Task Force, on with the San Diego Fire Department and aggregate national agencies, responded to the country to search the aircraft and its contents," the Port of San Diego Harbor Police Department said. 

SECOND NAVY FIGHTER JET GOES OVERBOARD FROM TRUMAN AIRCRAFT CARRIER, PILOTS EJECTED

A Hawaiian Airlines airplane sits connected the tarmac aft an evacuation connected May 20, 2025 astatine the San Diego International Airport successful San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

"The level skipper had taxied to a harmless determination connected the airfield. All 293 radical onboard were deplaned and transported by autobus to a harmless area. K-9s cleared the craft including each carry-on and checked luggage," it added. 

Stea, described by constabulary arsenic a "member of the military," was charged with making a mendacious weaponry menace and mendacious study of a information threat. 

Isai Solorzano, different Navy sailor who was connected the flight, told FOX 5 KUSI what helium witnessed, explaining that instrumentality enforcement officials boarded the level and asked astir the proprietor of immoderate circumstantial containers. 

Electronics Technician 1st Class John Stea was arrested by San Diego Harbor Police connected May 20 pursuing an alleged weaponry threat. ( Fabrizio Gandolfo/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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"One feline stood up, (and) they instantly told him to crook astir and enactment him successful handcuffs," Solorzano said. "They took him away." 

Fox News Digital’s Nick Butler contributed to this report.