July 11, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Ex-TSA Screener Found Mentally Incompetent in LAX Threats Case

TSA
An ex-TSA agent was found mentally incompetent to face trial. (Thinkstock)

An ex-Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  screener charged with making threats directed at LAX terminals on the eve of the 12th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror strikes is not competent to stand trial and will be sent to a mental hospital for treatment, a federal judge ruled on May 19.

Nna Alpha Onuoha, 30, faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted of three federal counts each of false information and hoaxes, and making telephonic threats, according to prosecutors.
After reviewing a doctor’s evaluation and hearing from the defendant, U.S. District Judge Beverly Reid O’Connell found that Onuoha is “presently suffering from a mental disorder” and cannot assist in his own defense.
Earlier, Onuoha, a Nigerian-born naturalized U.S. citizen, offered a rambling, incoherent statement to the court.
“God gave me a message and I delivered that message,” he said. “God is not a disease. I delivered a message to obey God and I was arrested. I shared the message with the world. I gave my testimony to the world.”
O’Connell ordered the defendant into treatment “forthwith” and set an Oct. 20 status conference.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Mills said at a previous hearing that Onuoha “appeared to be living a perfectly normal life” until around the time the threats began.
Onuoha was arrested around midnight on Sept. 10, 2013, shortly after he resigned his TSA job at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
According to the indictment, Onuoha returned to LAX shortly after he resigned and left an eight-page letter addressed to a TSA manager, then placed threatening calls to airport officials, demanding the airport be evacuated.
In a call to a TSA checkpoint, Onuoha allegedly stated that the airport should be evacuated immediately, starting with Terminal 2, and that he would be watching to make sure his orders were followed.
At about the same time, Onuoha allegedly called LAX police dispatch and warned that the entire airport should be evacuated immediately, because he was going to “deliver a message to America and to the world.”
Prosecutors also allege that Onuoha — who had served in Kosovo with the National Guard — telephoned the TSA manager to whom he had addressed the eight-page letter and warned that “TSA was running out of time.”
At the time of his arrest, Onuoha was unemployed, homeless and $15,000 in debt, prosecutors said.
Onuoha had been forced to resign from his TSA job earlier in the day of his arrest, following a recent suspension for allegedly criticizing a 15-year-old girl’s wardrobe as too skimpy, according to the FBI.
The run-in with the teen made headlines when her father publicized it on his blog.
Related Posts

L.A. Louver Marks David Hockney’s 88th with Exhibit

July 11, 2025

July 11, 2025

Hockney, a British artist born in 1937, gained fame with the British Pop Art movement and later became known for...

Suspect Arrested in Shoe Retail Theft Spree Across LA County

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

During the search, police recovered two firearms and a significant quantity of merchandise The Los Angeles Police Department’s Organized Retail...

Culver City Seeks Public Input on New Environmental Restrictions

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

Opinions on balloons and astroturf were mixed, with environmental concerns clashing with cultural or practical preferences The Culver City Council...

Father-Daughter Authors to Host Book Signing to Aid Fire-Affected Women

July 10, 2025

July 10, 2025

Ten percent of proceeds from book and art sales will benefit the Pacific Palisades Rebuilding Fund, a nonprofit initiative created...

Culver City Police Locate Missing 75-Year-Old Woman

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The Department expressed gratitude to the community, media, and law enforcement partners for their assistance The Culver City Police Department...

Metro Reports Crime Drop, Higher Rider Satisfaction, and Progress on Major Projects

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The Authority said the drop in violent incidents—down to the lowest level since May 2019—coincided with more uniformed personnel and...

Pandemic Fraud Crackdown: Inglewood Woman Accused of Using Stolen IDs in $1.3M Scam

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Authorities Say Fake Claims Used Names of Prisoners and Out-of-State Residents Selena Stewart was arrested and arraigned Wednesday on a...

Unmasking ICE: Senators Push for Visible IDs After Secretive LA Immigration Raids

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Bill Requires Federal Agents to Display Visible Identification During Raids U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) on...

Bacio di Latte’s Beverly Hills Gelateria Debut Blends Italian Tradition with California Cool

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Gelateria Features In-House Gelato, Espresso Drinks, and Decadent Signature Flavors Bacio di Latte has officially opened its latest U.S. flagship...

Housing for Health Chief Appointed to Lead Unified Homeless Services Department

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Veteran Housing Advocate to Oversee Streamlined LA County Services The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday confirmed the...

Brentwood Feels Impact as Feds Slash Office Leases Across Los Angeles

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

New Tracker Reveals Over 70,000 Square Feet Cut in 2025 Alone Los Angeles County’s office market is experiencing a fresh...

One Last Bite: La Novia Bids Farewell with Final Pop-Up at Cardinale du Vin

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Inventive Latin-Asian Pop-up Serves Seasonal Small Plates for One-Night-Only La Novia, the pop-up kitchen known for its inventive Latin-Asian flavors,...

Shore Hotel: A Local Destination for Summer Fun

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Bring on all things summer. Walking or biking along Santa Monica Pier, you might find yourself taking a pause at...

Governor Newsom Unveils Fast-Track Rebuilding Plan on Six-Month Anniversary of Palisades Fire

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

State Clears Over 5.5 Billion Pounds of Debris From Fires Ahead of Schedule Marking six months since the devastating Eaton...

Soprano Golda Zahra Returns to BroadStage For a One-Night-Only Musical Celebration

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Hailed as “the rising star of the opera world” by The Hollywood Times, internationally acclaimed soprano Golda Zahra makes her much-anticipated return to BroadStage in...