A pair of Spirit Airlines contract workers have been arrested for stealing items out of a passenger’s travel bag accidentally left on a counter before he boarded a flight to Los Angeles at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
The suspects were caught on camera going through Keyonne Brooks’ personal property on Feb. 19. As they rummaged through his bag, they reportedly took what they wanted and discarded other items. One person posed and snapped selfies as another tossed items into the trash can.
Brooks’ bag contained medicine and priceless heirloom pieces that he obtained after attending homegoing services for a relative.
A spokesperson from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Capt. Jason Rivarde said an arrest warrant was made for the detainment of four individuals captured on surveillance video. Two of the four gate agents have already been arrested and booked for the crime. The other two remain at large.
Willie Stovall III, 31, and Ebone Baker, 22, were brought in on felony theft charges on Friday, March 17, according to NOLA.com.
On Wednesday, March 22, a judge determined Stovall should be held without bond at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna.
However, Baker was granted release on a $5,000 bond from jail on the same day she was arrested.
Antoinaija Beasley, 22, and Alshea Mitchell, 30, will face the same charges once they are apprehended.
Brooks’ attorney, Warren McKenna III, says his client is happy that progress is being made, saying, “We’re pleased that two of the people have been apprehended, and hopefully, the other two will be shortly.”
The passenger left his bag on the counter after arguing with a gate agent regarding a gate check of his large suitcase.
The service provider told him he would need to reschedule his flight home if he did a gate check, which Brooks said was misinformation — based on his experience with the airline in the past.
To resolve the conflict, Brooks paid the extra fee for his suitcase and asked for a manager to come to speak with him. Between going back and forth with the agent and quickly boarding, he left the carry-on bag on the ledge.
Video, later obtained by McKenna and shown to Brooks, shows one of the Spirit Airlines employees taking the bag and placing it behind the counter before the plane was fully boarded.
After it was clear and the plane was gearing to take off, the footage showed the woman taking the bag to a seat, opening it up, and starting to search through its contents.
“I noticed that she was stuffing some things in her pocket. I don’t know if that was my jewelry or my crystals,” said Brooks.
Others joined her and took what they wanted out of the bag.
Brooks said, as he looked at the surveillance footage, he could not believe what he was seeing and stopped watching.
“There were my house keys, my car keys. When I got back to L.A., I was not able to get into my home right away. I was not even able to start my car. Everything was halted until I paid locksmiths,” Brooks said.
Brooks contacted the airlines regarding the incident and forwarded the video to the corporate office. Four days later, the airlines refunded Brooks the money for his ticket price.
Now Brooks is working to see if he can be compensated for his lost items. While there continues to be a struggle because the passenger does not have receipts for the heirloom jewelry allegedly stolen during the incident, the airline has apologized to the customer, saying they have “suspended” the four employees.
“Spirit Airlines is committed to treating all Guests with respect and delivering high-quality service, and we will take appropriate action as necessary following the completion of the vendor’s investigation,” a statement from the airline read.
