Portion of LAX evacuated after traffic stop outside terminal

Passengers were temporarily evacuated Sunday from a terminal at Los Angeles International Airport after an arrest inadvertently led to a security breach during the busy Labor Day weekend, authorities said. The incident began about 9 a.m., when Los Angeles Airport police pulled over a driver in a stolen vehicle at the airport’s lower level outside Terminal 3, said Officer Rob Pedregon. During the arrest, officers drew their guns and instructed nearby passengers on the sidewalk to move inside, he said. Fearful for their safety, some passengers moved past the TSA screening area without being screened, creating a security breach, Pedregon said. As many as 20 others went through an emergency exit and onto the airfield, officials said. Airport security rounded up those travelers and evacuated the gates, shops, restaurants and corridors inside Terminal 3, sending passengers back to the ticketing area, Pedregon said. LAX police searched the terminal with bomb-sniffing dogs and, once the area was cleared, allowed passengers to return and be rescreened, he said. Larry McKenney, 35, of Texas was arrested on suspicion of possessing a stolen 2013 Chevrolet Sonic and possessing narcotics, police said. He was taken to the LAPD’s Pacific Division jail, Pedregon said. Four others who were in or near the car were questioned and released, police said.<br/>