Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

News

JFK Security Breacher Went Outside to Smoke


By

Jen Chung

Published Nov 1, 2007

Modified Mar 7, 2008


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .


By

Jen Chung

Published Nov 1, 2007

Modified Mar 7, 2008


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

2007_10_smoking.jpgThe man who breached security at JFK Airport on Tuesday, after entering the restricted areas by walking through the exit lane near security screening and caused two terminals to be evacuated as the TSA and other authorities searched for him, was arrested yesterday in Albany. Authorities say that William Contreras Ramos, who managed to board his plane to the state capitol, had a 4-inch razor in his carry-on bag and was charged with carrying a concealed weapon onto a plane.

Ramos had a layover at JFK Airport on his way from Puerto Rico. According to the Times-Union, Ramos went outside to smoke.

Ramos admitted that while he was smoking the cigarette he noticed he was running late for his connecting flight and did not have his boarding pass. He "went through a door opened by a man and ran to the gate where he boarded the flight," the court documents say, despite verbal warnings to stop.

Okay, so even without his boarding pass, he got onto his flight. Nice one, Delta. Also, good one Puerto Rican airport security, as the straight razor in his carry-on apparently made it through the PR screening.

According to the Transportation Security Administration, the terminals were evacuated at 6:40PM. Flights were delayed and passengers were re-screened starting at 9:30PM.

Tagged

airport

Albany

court

crime

JFK

jfk airport

plane

Puerto Rican

puerto rico

running

smoking

transportation

transportation security administration


Jen Chung

Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE news

Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park

People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.

By

Charles Lane

Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET


Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says

It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.

By

Liam Quigley

News

Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says

It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.

By

Liam Quigley


New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ

By

Arya Sundaram

A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.

By

Samantha Max

Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910

By

Michael Sol Warren


Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .