'Serial stowaway' got past TSA spent night at O'Hare before flight to London: Prosecutors
Marilyn Hartman
Marilyn Hartman  66   faces a felony theft charge in connection with flying to the United Kingdom on a British Airways jet without a $2 400 plane ticket and a misdemeanor trespass charge in connection with getting into the airport illegally. In a hearing Saturday afternoon  a judge ordered  her  released on  her  own recognizance  but ordered  her  to undergo psychiatric treatment and stay away from OâHare and any British Airways planes.
 Hartman  also will be required to have an ankle monitor until the conclusion of  her  case.
âThere is no pun intended for your client  but  she  is a flight risk given the number of offenses â Judge Stephanie K. Miller said to Hartmanâs court-appointed attorney.
Dressed in a dark gray sweater and wearing black-framed eyeglasses   Hartman  said nothing during the hearing  but  her  lips curled into a smile after the judge granted  her  release.
 Hartman  used  her  hair to hide  her  face and walk past two federal TSA Precheck agents who were checking boarding passes around 2 p.m. on Jan. 14 at O'Hare  prosecutors said Saturday.
After entering a security checkpoint   she  then went to a terminal and tried to board a plane to Connecticut  but as  she  tried to âdart aroundâ another passenger in line   she  was stopped by a flight agent and told to sit down  Assistant Stateâs Attorney Maria McCarthy told the court.
 Hartman  got onto a shuttle bus to the International Terminal and slept there overnight  prosecutors said.
The next day   Hartman  managed to get past British Airways ticket agents and a Customs and Border Patrol officer  and onto a plane  prosecutors said.  She  sat in an empty seat and flew to Londonâs Heathrow Airport  but when  she  showed  her  documents to a Customs agent   she  was identified as someone who entered England without proper documentation  McCarthy said.
 Hartman   of the 100 block of Hamelitz Court in Grayslake  was flown back to OâHare  and Chicago police and other officials were waiting for  her  when  she  arrived  prosecutors said.  She  later admitted to boarding the London-bound flight without buying a ticket  McCarthy added.
 Hartman âs movements through the airport were captured on high-definition surveillance video  according to authorities.
The TSA is investigating how  Hartman  was able to get through security  a spokesman said in a statement Friday.
This is  Hartman âs first arrest in Chicago since 2016  but  she  has a long history of trying to sneak onto airplanes.
 Hartman  was given probation when  she  originally was sentenced after pleading guilty in a February 2016 trespassing charge  but  she  was sentenced to 364 days in jail a few weeks later  according to court records.  She  was credited for 23 days already served and could have spent less than six months in jail if given credit for good behavior  according to court records.
At the time  she  was sentenced to jail   Hartman  had been living at a mental health facility on the Near North Side before violating the terms of  her  probation by leaving the facility and going to OâHare.
 Hartman  has been detained several times across the country for trying to bypass airport security. In a court filing after  her  arrest in July 2015 at O'Hare on trespass charges  Cook County prosecutors described  Hartman  as a "serial stowaway."  She  told NBC-Ch. 5 in December 2015 that  she  "may have" boarded planes without a ticket eight times.
 Hartman  also has three misdemeanor convictions for similar crimes in California  McCarthy said.
[TGT] faces a felony theft charge in connection with flying to the United Kingdom on a British Airways jet without a $2 400 plane ticket and a misdemeanor trespass charge in connection with getting into the airport illegally. In a hearing Saturday afternoon  a judge ordered   [TGT]   released on   [TGT]   own recognizance  but ordered   [TGT]   to undergo psychiatric treatment and stay away from OâHare and any British Airways planes.
  [TGT] also will be required to have an ankle monitor until the conclusion of   [TGT]   case.
âThere is no pun intended for your client  but   [TGT]   is a flight risk given the number of offenses â Judge Stephanie K. Miller said to Hartmanâs court-appointed attorney.
Dressed in a dark gray sweater and wearing black-framed eyeglasses    [TGT] said nothing during the hearing  but   [TGT]   lips curled into a smile after the judge granted   [TGT]   release.
  [TGT] used   [TGT]   hair to hide   [TGT]   face and walk past two federal TSA Precheck agents who were checking boarding passes around 2 p.m. on Jan. 14 at O'Hare  prosecutors said Saturday.
After entering a security checkpoint   she  then went to a terminal and tried to board a plane to Connecticut  but as  she  tried to âdart aroundâ another passenger in line   she  was stopped by a flight agent and told to sit down  Assistant Stateâs Attorney Maria McCarthy told the court.
  [TGT] got onto a shuttle bus to the International Terminal and slept there overnight  prosecutors said.
The next day    [TGT] managed to get past British Airways ticket agents and a Customs and Border Patrol officer  and onto a plane  prosecutors said.  She  sat in an empty seat and flew to Londonâs Heathrow Airport  but when  she  showed  her  documents to a Customs agent   she  was identified as someone who entered England without proper documentation  McCarthy said.
  [TGT] was flown back to OâHare  and Chicago police and other officials were waiting for   [TGT]   when   [TGT]   arrived  prosecutors said.   [TGT]   later admitted to boarding the London-bound flight without buying a ticket  McCarthy added.
  [TGT]  âs movements through the airport were captured on high-definition surveillance video  according to authorities.
The TSA is investigating how   [TGT] was able to get through security  a spokesman said in a statement Friday.
This is  Hartman âs first arrest in Chicago since 2016  but   [TGT]   has a long history of trying to sneak onto airplanes.
  [TGT] was given probation when   [TGT]   originally was sentenced after pleading guilty in a February 2016 trespassing charge  but   [TGT]   was sentenced to 364 days in jail a few weeks later  according to court records.   [TGT]   was credited for 23 days already served and could have spent less than six months in jail if given credit for good behavior  according to court records.
At the time   [TGT]   was sentenced to jail    [TGT] had been living at a mental health facility on the Near North Side before violating the terms of  her  probation by leaving the facility and going to OâHare.
  [TGT] has been detained several times across the country for trying to bypass airport security. In a court filing after   [TGT]   arrest in July 2015 at O'Hare on trespass charges  Cook County prosecutors described   [TGT] as a "serial stowaway."  She  told NBC-Ch. 5 in December 2015 that  she  "may have" boarded planes without a ticket eight times.
  [TGT] also has three misdemeanor convictions for similar crimes in California  McCarthy said.