GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) - A Phillips man has been charged with two felonies after he refused to leave a twin-engine jet at an airport in Grand Island, police said.
Tyler Caudill, 19, was charged with attempted theft and possession of a deadly weapon. His bond was set Wednesday at $250,000. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for June 4.
A man reported finding Caudill passed out inside the plane Tuesday afternoon at the Central Nebraska Regional Airport in Grand Island. The man removed a rifle Caudill had with him, KSNB reported.
Grand Island police shut down the airport when Caudill refused to leave the plane and was seen manipulating the plane’s controls. He surrendered after about 90 minutes when police released chemical irritants into the plane.
Court records identified Caudill’s weapon as a Ruger AR-15, a semi-automatic rifle with a multi-round clip. Police are investigating whether Caudill was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Police became aware of Caudill on Monday, after he reportedly tried to enter Kearney High School to see a student but was turned away. The school was on lockdown for much of Tuesday after authorities reported Caudill had left his home in a car with a rifle.
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