Man, 26, steals airport tug and drives it dangerously close to a plane in a reckless tarmac joyride at John Wayne Airport

From the Newshound archive · first published 9 October 2026.

Skyler Jay Barr, 26, of Everett, Washington, breached a restricted gate at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California, on Tuesday evening and stole an Alaska Airlines tug. Footage shows him racing across the tarmac, reversing to within a dangerous distance of an aircraft, hitting another vehicle, and attempting to steal a lavatory truck before officers detained him within minutes. Barr had been at the airport waiting for a Delta flight to Seattle; he was arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft, vandalism and trespassing and was later taken to hospital.