Just over a year after he stepped off a plane at O'Hare International Airport, the legal troubles of the man who lived at the bustling travel hub for three months came to an end Friday.
Aditya Singh was arrested on Jan. 16, when police discovered him living in a secured terminal at O'Hare after getting off a flight from Los Angeles in October. Prosecutors alleged at the time that he said he was scared to continue his journey to India due to concerns over COVID-19.
At the time of his arrest, authorities said two United Airlines employees asked for Singh's identification, at which point he showed a badge that belonged to an operations manager who reported it missing in October. Those employees then alerted police, who took Singh into custody.
The arrest report said Singh told investigators that he had been eating and sleeping at the airport and had survived by asking other passengers for money.
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Documents obtained by NBC 5 Investigates earlier this year also indicated Singh was discovered in possession of a key ring that contained 50 keys, which he said he found in a restroom.
Singh charged with felony trespassing and misdemeanor theft. He was released on bond but placed on electronic monitoring as he awaited trial, and ordered to stay away from the airport.
While out on bond earlier this year, Singh's ankle monitor alerted authorities of his location in the bushes by an elevated railroad viaduct near the intersection of Kedzie Avenue and Taylor Street. He was then charged separately for violating the terms of his electronic monitoring.
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Judge Adrienne Davis on Tuesday found Singh not guilty of the trespassing and theft charges related to his time living at O'Hare. A spokeswoman for the Chicago Department of Aviation told the Chicago Tribune that Singh hadn't violated airport regulations because he arrived "by stepping off a plane."
At a hearing on the separate escape charges Friday, Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Robert Mack revealed that prosecutors would not continue to pursue the additional escape charge following Singh's acquittal earlier in the week.
Davis subsequently dismissed the final charges against Singh - bringing an apparent end to his case.
