Man charged for third time of stealing luggage from airport

ATLANTA — A man who has a history of stealing luggage from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has been arrested again.

Atlanta police arrested Devonte Lightning, 19, Thursday and charged him with unlawful removal of baggage.

Court records indicate Lightning was arrested twice last year for the same offense. The courts told him then to stay away from the airport.

Channel 2's Tom Jones has covered Lightning's case in the past and was in court when he went before a judge on the latest charge.

As the judge told him the charge he faces, Lightning tried to explain why he was back at the airport.

"Actually I was doing community service for my college," he said.

He then mentioned something about a friend he was with.

"And he actually work at the airport but he at the college," he said before the judge cut him off.

Channel 2 Action News reported on Lightning's arrest after he was charged with eight counts of unlawful baggage removal and eight counts of theft by taking last year.

Court records show he was charged with three counts of baggage removal on another occasion.

Now, police accuse Lightning once again of stealing baggage from a Delta carousel, two days after Christmas.

Clayton County Magistrate Judge Richard Brown recognized that Lightning has had a problem.

"The nature of this charge and your history -- the bond amount on this is $10,000," he said.

No one with the District Attorney's office was available to say how the cases last year were resolved.

Lightning's mother has said in the past he has problems when he stops taking his medicine. Lightning asked the judge a question that seemed to indicate he knows he has a problem.

"If I plead guilty, how much time will I get?" he asked.

The judge told him that is something he will have to discuss with his attorney. Brown then ordered Lightning  once again to stay away from Hartsfield-Jackson.

WSBTV