CLEVELAND — The Department of Justice said Friday that a Cleveland man has been charged with a six-count indictment for illegally entering the runway at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, stealing two cars and damaging property the day before Thanksgiving.
Isaac Woolley, 26, was charged with one count of entering aircraft or an airport area in violation of security requirements, one count of violence at international airports, two counts of destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities, and two counts of carjacking, according to the DOJ.
Court documents state Woolley entered a secured area of the airport on Nov. 23 and damaged the main radar antenna tower, which made the primary radar system inoperable. The system is utilized by the Federal Aviation Administration to monitor air traffic for Cleveland Hopkins.
Woolley is also accused of stealing a vehicle from someone in Fairview Park, Ohio and then using it to breach the gate. Officers responded and arrested the suspect. The airport then temporarily shut down the airport runway, along with other operations. Several flights heading to Cleveland were diverted to other airports during the shutdown, which lasted for about half an hour, officials said.
If convicted, the DOJ said the sentence won’t exceed the statutory maximum. The sentence will be determined after a review of the factors, which includes if Woolley has any prior records, his role in the alleged offenses and characteristics of the violation.
Drivers also crashed through fencing at the airport in February 2019 and again in July 2020, Cleveland.com reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
