Man denied flight A man who was refused entry on a flight to Phoenix on Tuesday night was arrested the following morning after Lihue Airport officials allegedly spotted him walking nude on the runway, police said.
allegedly walked
nude on runway
He must undergo a mental
evaluation and face a trespass chargeBy Nelson Daranciang
ndaranciang@starbulletin.comStephen Gala, 38, was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation yesterday when he went to court to face criminal trespass and open-lewdness charges. He was also ordered to remain in custody at Samuel Magellan Medical Center pending the outcome of the evaluation, said Ernie Barreira, Kauai District Court administrator.
Gala, who is from Phoenix, has been visiting the Garden Isle for the past couple of years, and he "gets in trouble every time he comes here," said Lt. Ale Quibilan of the Kauai Police Department.
On Monday, Gala was arrested for abuse of a household member in an incident involving his girlfriend, Quibilan said. Gala went to court Tuesday morning and was released in the afternoon after posting bail.
Later that night, Gala and his girlfriend wanted to return to Phoenix, but airline officials refused to let him board the plane, Quibilan said. Police were called to the airport, but Gala was not arrested.
Then about 6 a.m. Wednesday, airport officials in the air traffic control tower allegedly spotted Gala walking nude on the runway and immediately called airport security, said Stan Sekimoto, Lihue Airport manager. Airport officials do not know how Gala got on the runway.
"He probably jumped the fence. We don't know," Sekimoto said.
Airport security officers called Kauai police. By the time police caught up with Gala, "he was running around the Hawaiian and Aloha cargo area," Quibilan said.
Gala was cooperative and did not try to flee, he said.
After booking him for criminal trespass and open lewdness, police took Gala to the medical center's psychiatric unit.