Soldier accused of having gun in bag at MacArthur

A soldier accused of having a loaded handgun in her bag at MacArthur Airport was arraigned in Central Islip Monday.Officials say the discovery was made at around 6 a.m Sunday at a security checkpoint.Police

News 12 Staff

Oct 21, 2008, 7:43 PM

Updated 5,806 days ago

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A soldier accused of having a loaded handgun in her bag at MacArthur Airport was arraigned in Central Islip Monday.Officials say the discovery was made at around 6 a.m Sunday at a security checkpoint.Police say 38-year-old Vonda Collier, of San Antonio, Texas, is a soldier on leave from Iraq and was returning home on a Southwest Airlines flight. According to a police report, Collier told investigators that her father gave her the weapon for protection. Police say she does not have a valid New York permit for the weapon.
A judge ordered Collier held on $5,000 bail or $25,000 bond. The incident was the second security-related event at the airport within a week. On Thursday, a man allegedly tried to board a plane with a pipe bomb. Man who had explosives in airport luggage denied bail Explosives found in man's baggage at MacArthur