"Man with loaded gun arrested at California airport"

Friday, June 25, 2004

Man with loaded gun arrested at Orange County airport 
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


SANTA ANA - A man who was arrested at an Orange County airport after he
allegedly tried to board a flight with a loaded gun and knife said he
forgot the weapons were in his carry-on bag, authorities said Friday. 
 
Ali Reza Khatami, 65, of Yorba Linda, had a .38-caliber handgun and a
six-inch buck knife with him when he attempted to catch a plane Thursday
bound for Chicago from John Wayne Airport, sheriff's spokesman Jim
Amormino said. 

A federal transportation inspector noticed the weapons during a routine
X-ray of the carry-on bag. A joint terrorism task force that includes
the FBI was investigating the discovery. 

"We have no reason to believe this is terrorism-related, but there's
going to be an ongoing investigation," Amormino said. "He's not on any
terrorist watch list or a person of interest - not until now." 

Amormino said Khatami has a criminal record but declined to provide
details. The suspect was being held without bail at the Men's Central
Jail for investigation of possessing a loaded gun and attempting to
carry a loaded gun into a secure area of the airport. 

Khatami told authorities he was headed to Virginia, where he has
property, and forgot the weapons were in his bag, sheriff's Sgt. Brian
Heaney said. 

"It's absolute stupidity to bring anything into the airport that could
even be perceived as a weapon," Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona said
as he waited Friday for a flight at the same airport. "The war on
terrorism isn't over, which is why we're so vigilant."


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