A 58-year-old man has been indicted, weeks after he allegedly crashed his car into a locked Daytona Beach airport gate and tried to enter an occupied plane.
On Thursday, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Holly Hill resident Bryan John Parker with damaging, destroying, or disabling airport facilities (one count) and entering an aircraft or airport area in violation of security requirements (one count).
According to the indictment, Parker reportedly crashed a blue Ford Mustang through a locked perimeter gate at Daytona Beach International Airport at around 4:25 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25.
A Volusia County Sheriff’s Office deputy quickly arrived at the airport and observed that the gate was “destroyed and lying on the ground.” Airport staff informed the deputy that the Mustang had “plowed through” the gate before heading toward the airport’s Embry-Riddle section.
The Mustang’s suspected driver, identified as Parker, was quickly detained by airport security personnel.
Witnesses reportedly told the deputy that Parker had “entered the taxiway,” nearly striking an Embry-Riddle plane that was taxiing.
According to witnesses, Parker exited his Mustang and attempted to enter the plane, though he was unsuccessful. Parker then allegedly ran to a nearby aircraft while being chased by an airport operations technician, and he was pulled out of the plane and briefly apprehended.
Parker then reportedly managed to run toward another plane before he was once again apprehended and secured in handcuffs.
The indictment alleges that during the incident, Parker “urinate(d) on the taxiway.”
While speaking with law enforcement, Parker allegedly “indicated he was intoxicated on alcohol and drugs,” and he claimed to have no memory of the events leading to the incident, according to VCSO.
Parker was placed under arrest and booked into Volusia County Jail on the following charges: aircraft piracy, burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, trespassing at an airport, indecent exposure (two counts), criminal mischief ($1,000 or more), DUI with damage to persons or property, refusal to submit to DUI testing, and DUI (third or subsequent offense within 10 years).
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
If convicted on all counts, Parker would face a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Federal Air Marshal Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Varadan.