On September 20, 2021, local police in San Jose, California detained a man after he entered a secure area of Norman Mineta Y. San Jose International Airport (SJC) and claimed to be in possession of explosive devices.
Around 07:30 a.m. local time, police were called to the airport’s south end for a security breach. An intruder appears to have followed an airport employee driving to work and was able to pass through the security barrier.
“The employee noted that another car was allowed to enter as he was passing through the gate before it closed. “The protocol is to alert authorities promptly, and we were notified,” said Sargeant Christian Camarillo in a statement.
After the police came, the man, identified as 22-year-old Alex Portillo-Bienemann, barricaded himself in his car.
Portillo-Bienemann initially refused to exit the vehicle, then claimed to have bombs.
“He made some impromptu claims regarding ingesting an explosive device and the presence of another one in the vehicle. Both of those claims were later proven to be false. “Nothing was discovered in the vehicle,” stated Sgt. Camarillo.
Police discovered no bombs, and Portillo-Bienemann was arrested for trespassing on airport grounds and delaying officers.
It was established that Portillo-Bienemann had a mental illness. He was admitted to the hospital after consuming a big dosage of an unknown drug. Police will provide mental health treatment to Portillo-Bienemann.
There was no damage to the airport’s property, and departing planes were only delayed by a maximum of 45 minutes. Incoming flights were directed to use a runway that was further away from the event.
This morning SJC and Patrol Officers responded to a security breach in a sterile area of the airport. A despondent male drove his vehicle onto the south side of the airport.
A swift response by our units contained the suspect and he was taken into custody. pic.twitter.com/pMQZuxF5S8
— San José Police Media Relations (@SJPD_PIO) September 19, 2021
