Woman arrested after turbulent airport tarmac chase in Chesterfield

Chris Hayes
·2 min read
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CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — Bedlam on the runways at Spirit of St. Louis Airport results in the capture of a female suspect who was determined to evade arrest.

The 54-year-old woman was arrested after leading police on a pursuit inside airport property.

The wild scene unfolded at the airport in Chesterfield on Thursday November 2nd. A stream of police cars responded, speeding right past Tomas Sotelo.

He said he saw ten cars entering the runway area at about 8 p.m. that night.

Court records say police were going after 54-year-old Kathleen Klingerman in her minivan, reportedly driving on the taxiway and runway areas.

Charging documents allege officers and airport staff attempted to block the minivan and that once they’d boxed her in, Klingerman reportedly reversed and struck a police car. The court records say the defendant also allegedly threatened to kill an officer.

She’s now charged with trespassing, assault and felony resisting arrest.

Klingerman was wanted because of pending criminal charges surrounding her behavior at her home on Ridgefield Farms Drive in Defiance. Court records say four neighbors fear for their safety.

I talked to one of them, who did not want to be identified, but told me the bizarre interactions have lasted nearly five years.

Court records in that peace disturbance case allege Klingerman is continuously yelling and screaming obscenities from her yard and that she broke into a residence and assaulted a homeowner. An officer added, “When I attempted to speak to Kathleen, she told me to ‘(expletive) off.’”

Neighbor Bob Rhodes learned from us about the connection between the airport adventure and his neighbor who lives just a few houses away.

“In this subdivision? Like right over here? Oh, I’ve heard about that lady, throwing clothes out on the front yard screaming and hollering at neighbors that walked by. Some of them were scared, and they stopped here and were afraid to walk back that way.”

Rhodes added, “I hope she gets help because I think she has to be sick to be that way. I wouldn’t want her to go to prison without her seeing a doctor, to get this taken care of. I think that’s what she needs.”

We were unable to reach Klingerman. Spirit of St. Louis airport would not comment.

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