‘Serial Stowaway’ Woman Arrested For Flying To London Without Ticket

A woman infamous for her history of stowing away on commercial flights made it past two Transportation Security Administration Agents (TSA) at the O’Hare International Airport, Chicago, by hiding her face with her hair Jan 13. She then slept overnight at the airport after which she boarded a flight to London without a ticket the next day, prosecutors said Saturday.

Marilyn Hartman, 66, a resident of 100 block of Hamelitz Court, Grayslake, Chicago, faces a felony theft charge for traveling to United Kingdom via British Airways without a ticket and also for entering the airport in Chicago, illegally, Chicago Tribune reported.

She appeared before a judge Saturday afternoon, after which she was released under her own recognizance. However, the judge also ordered Hartman to go through psychiatric evaluation and to stay away from airports and British Airways aircrafts, the report stated.

Judge Stephanie K. Miller told Hartman’s attorney, “There is no pun intended for your client, but she is a flight risk given the number of offenses.”

According to prosecutors, Hartman hid her face with her hair and walked past two federal TSA precheck officials, who checked the boarding passes of the passengers, on Jan. 14.

At the court, assistant state attorney Maria McCarthy said Hartman, after entering the security checkpoint, went to a terminal and attempted to board a flight going to Connecticut.

McCarthy said Hartman tried to “dart around” another passenger who was in the line, but was stopped by an agent working for the flight and was instructed to sit down.

Hartman then boarded a shuttle bus that went to the international terminal, where she slept for the night.

McCarthy added, the next morning, Hartman was able to move past the ticket agents of British Airways and also a Customs and Border Patrol officer, to board the flight. She occupied an empty seat in the plane and traveled to Heathrow Airport, London. However, in London, a Customs agent found out s, she was identified and it was found she didn’t have the relevant papers.

Hartman was sent back to Chicago where the police authorities were waiting for her. She confessed later she had boarded the flight without a ticket, said McCarthy.

Her actions in the airport were recorded on the surveillance cameras, police authorities said. A TSA spokesman said in a statement Friday they were looking into the matter as to how Hartman was able to walk past the security.

“This matter is subject to an ongoing investigation and TSA is working closely with our law enforcement and airline partners in that effort,” the statement said. “During the initial investigation it was determined that the passenger was screened at the security checkpoint before boarding a flight. Upon learning of the incident TSA, and its aviation partners took immediate action to review security practices throughout the airport.”

Hartman had quite a bit of history when it came to entering airports illegally.

According to a Chicago Tribune report in March 2016, Hartman pleaded guilty after she trespassed into state land and was arrested at a bus shuttle center at the same Chicago airport. She also pleaded guilty to breaching her probation, which was related to two earlier arrests.

Hartman reportedly said she “may have” boarded aircrafts without a ticket eight times, the report said.