In Kingman, a transient pleaded guilty on Tuesday to third-degree burglary for cutting the power to the control tower at Bullhead City airport. Kurt James Baxter, 30, had a charge of criminal damage dismissed as part of the plea agreement. He is currently held in custody on a $4,000 bond.
As per the plea deal, Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen will sentence Baxter to supervised probation with the potential of up to one year in the county jail. The sentencing is scheduled for December 15.
The incident occurred on October 21 when police responded to a call at Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport about a man with a bolt cutter who had jumped the secured fence. Baxter allegedly cut locks off electric power panels, removing wires and electric fuses, resulting in a power outage at the airport’s traffic control tower. The estimated damage ranged between $1,000 and $2,000.
Upon confrontation by an airport security guard, Baxter fled into the desert. Despite a search by officers on the ground and a police helicopter until nightfall, he eluded capture.
Earlier, on October 5, a suspect carrying bolt cutters was observed outside the airport’s fence, despite “no trespassing” signs. Baxter was arrested later as a suspect on a warrant but was eventually released.
The security guard identified Baxter as the suspect in the October 5 incident, and he was finally arrested on October 22 in the Miracle Mile and Riverside Drive area.
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