Woman found walking inside fence at San Jose airport marks 5th security breach in a year

A woman walking on the airfield at a Silicon Valley airport probably jumped a fence, said authorities, who are now investigating their fifth security breach there in less than a year.

A UPS employee spotted Deanna Predoehl, 20, in a secure area at Mineta San Jose International Airport, and she resisted arrest when approached by officers around 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, San Jose police said. She was ultimately subdued and arrested.

She had no identification, and police say their investigation indicates she had jumped a fence to get into the secure area.

The airport's overall security has faced scrutiny and criticism since Santa Clara teen Yahya Abdi climbed the fence last April, stowed away in a jet's wheel well and survived a five-hour flight to Hawaii.

Security was breached again last August when a woman without a boarding pass bypassed a checkpoint inside the airport and got on a plane to Los Angeles before she was caught. In November, a man was spotted near a restricted loading ramp and tried to flee, commandeering an airport work truck before being caught.

In January, a security guard spotted a man walking on the tarmac side of the airport fence at night. When they tried to grab him, Mendoza tried to climb over the fence to get out of the secure area.

San Jose beefed up its security after Abdi hopped the fence, adding video camera coverage and testing other alarm systems.

Serving the Silicon Valley, San Jose's airport has two terminals serving about 9.4 million passengers last year. While the Transportation Security Administration is largely responsible for screening passengers inside the airport, local police, federal authorities and the airport share joint responsibility for the perimeter security.

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Information from: San Jose (Calif.) Mercury News, http://www.mercurynews.com