NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — A guard whose failure to see a man bypass Newark airport security led to major delays is being described by a union official as a "model employee."
A person with direct knowledge of the investigation told The Associated Press on Friday that the Transportation Security Administration worker is Ruben Hernandez of Newark. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation isn't over.
The American Federation of Government Employees is representing the officer but has declined to publicly identify him.
The union's Derrick Thomas says the officer previously received a job commendation. He says the union is reviewing whether he was called from his post to investigate a disturbance.
An unidentified man slipped past and joined a woman already in a secure area. The problem shut down part of the airport for six hours.
(This version DELETES language in the first paragraph that incorrectly describes the guard as a union member.)
