(CNN) – A Californian who was “afraid to go home because of Covid” lived undetected at Chicago’s O’Hare airport for three months, according to several reports.
Aditya Udai Singh, 33, was arrested on Saturday morning local time in O’Hare and charged with impersonation in a restricted area of the airport and theft of less than $ 500, the Chicago Police Department confirmed to CNN .
Singh was arrested after being approached by two United Airlines employees who asked to see his identification. He said he showed them an airport identification badge that belonged to an operations manager who reported his disappearance in late October.
Assistant Attorney Kathleen Hagerty said in court that Singh claimed to be “afraid to go home because of Covid” and that other passengers provided him with food, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Chicago’s generally busy O’Hare Airport experienced a sharp drop in passenger traffic due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Scott Olson / Getty Images
Cook County judge Susana Ortiz expressed surprise at the unusual circumstances of the case, the newspaper reported.
“So, if I understand correctly,” said Ortiz, “you are telling me that an unauthorized, non-official individual was reportedly living in a secure part of the O’Hare airport terminal from October 19, 2020 to January 16, 2021 , and it was not detected? I want to understand it correctly. “
Assistant public defender Courtney Smallwood told the court that Singh is a resident of Los Angeles suburb Orange, and has no criminal record, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Singh’s bail was set at $ 1,000, on the condition that he does not re-enter O’Hare Airport, and he is expected to return to court on January 27.
CNN contacted the Cook County State Attorney’s Office and the Chicago Aviation Department for comment.