Las Vegas police nab theft suspect on McCarran airfield after chase

A man who allegedly stole from a gas station was taken into custody after leading police on a short foot chase onto the McCarran International Airport airfield Friday afternoon.

The theft was reported shortly before 3 p.m. at a gas station near Sunset Road and Eastern Avenue. When officers arrived, the man ran, leading officers onto airport property near the UPS hub, according to Las Vegas police spokesman Jay Rivera.

He was taken into custody shortly thereafter, Rivera said. It was not clear what items were taken.

Airport spokeswoman Christine Crews said the intrusion did not affect airport operations.

“When it comes to perimeter security, it’s about detection, response and control,” she said. “And in this case, all three of those happened in a timely manner.”

She said the man did not make it onto a runway before police caught up to him.

The breach was detected immediately, she said, adding that the amount of time the man was on airport property “was minimal.”