Unrelated to stolen tools, but still a theft
I came across this yesterday.
Shoot first ask questions later.
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base officials are investigating the chain of events behind a recent trespassing incident that led to the theft of a $78,000 navigation system for a Navy surveillance aircraft.
It took D-M police 30 to 45 minutes to arrive after Tucson Police Department officers notified the base they'd caught a civilian who'd been seen walking around inside the fence at the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center, according to TPD and FBI reports.
Base police reportedly were delayed because they couldn't find a key to a gate that stood between them and the scene of the crime, the TPD account said.
A 34-year-old Tucson man was arrested by the FBI a few days after the June 13 incident at the aircraft storage compound, commonly known as "the boneyard."
Base officials are saying little about the case, but they promised to release more details after their probe is finished.
D-M leaders also wouldn't say how many other unauthorized entries have occurred. They say releasing that information could pose a security risk ? a contention disputed by a civilian defense expert. Despite the recent breach, D-M officials say existing security measures are sufficient to protect the base and and the 2,600-acre storage site, home to more than 4,200 retired military aircraft worth about $33 billion. "Security is always a priority at any installation, and security at Davis-Monthan provides the appropriate level of protection," read a statement from D-M's public-affairs office. For now, the only public descriptions of the allegations are in federal court records and civilian police reports.
Around sunset on June 13, someone called Tucson police to report a suspicious vehicle parked outside a peeled-back section of perimeter fence at the boneyard, near East Irvington and South Pantano roads. Tucson police Sgt. Robert Lund arrived and found a red-headed man dressed in camouflage shorts and a T-shirt wandering around inside the fenceline near the parked aircraft. The man briefly ducked behind one of the warplanes, then crawled under the loose fence and approached the officer, saying he was an aircraft aficionado who wanted a closer look, an FBI report said. The police officer, who lacked jurisdiction to arrest someone on federal property, detained the man and notified D-M police that he was seen on base property. Thirty to 45 minutes went by, and base police still hadn't shown up, according to the Tucson police and FBI reports.
"After approximately 30 minutes, we were informed that D-M security forces could not find the key to the gate leading to our location," said an account from a second police officer who arrived to assist Lund. So the Tucson police officers took down the man's information and let him go with a warning to stay away from the boneyard.
Two days later, authorities discovered that a black box containing the navigation system for a Navy P-3 Orion, an anti-submarine aircraft, was missing from the boneyard. The black box later was found in the suspect's house, the FBI report said. An occupant of the house said the suspect planned to sell it to see how much money it would fetch, the report stated.
Christopher Howard, 34, of Tucson was arrested on suspicion of stealing government property. He was released after posting $5,000 bond and being put on electronic monitoring. Howard's address was not available because the FBI does not provide that information.
Base officials said the navigation system was unclassified and was not inside the aircraft when it disappeared. It had been removed for shipment, but officials wouldn't say how or where it was being stored.
