PLANE SCARE

Airline Passenger Arrested After Terrifying Discovery in His Luggage

The man was stopped as he tried to board a flight.

An airline passenger has been arrested after airport security discovered weapons and an improvised explosive device in his luggage. Kimani Osayande Jones, 49, was detained Saturday night as he attempted to board an American Airlines flight from Sacramento International Airport to Charlotte, North Carolina, according to prosecutors. Inside his bag, investigators say they found knives, other bladed weapons, zip ties, a butane torch lighter, and a homemade explosive device. Federal officials said testing confirmed the device contained a functional fuse and explosive material. An FBI bomb technician concluded it could have damaged an aircraft window and potentially caused cabin depressurization if detonated at cruising altitude. Authorities also recovered five cellphones with front cameras covered in tape. One allegedly showed a 15-minute countdown timer, while another displayed the message: “We will be awaiting your call.” Jones told authorities he was unaware of the items and would have discarded them. Investigators said he contacted the FBI 13 times this year, reporting fears of being followed and threatened. He has been charged with unlawfully possessing explosive material at an airport, carrying a penalty of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.