A former JetBlue employee was arrested Wednesday for making a false bomb threat at JFK International Airport’s TWA Hotel. Authorities said the employee lost his job during the pandemic and allegedly left a cellphone with a note stating “explosive device” in the hotel lobby.
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According to the New York Post, Dillon D. Vista called the Port Authority Police Department from an airplane parking lot around 11 a.m., claiming the cellphone was a bomb. He informed them that it was located inside the TWA Hotel. A bomb squad was deployed and quickly determined that the threat was a hoax. Authorities managed to arrest Vista at Jamaica Station because surveillance footage captured him near the hotel before he escaped using the AirTrain.
The incident is reportedly a continuation of Vista’s troubled history with JetBlue. Following his termination, he made several attempts to rejoin the airline, including a specific Instagram post last year in which he addressed an email to JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty with the message, “Send this blank email to help get my job back!” and the subject line, “Bring Dillon back!”
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Additionally, Vista was a recurring presence at JetBlue officers, leading to the airline obtaining a restraining order against him after several instances of him showing up and harassing employees. An Instagram post from January 2023 depicted Vista smiling in front of JetBlue’s headquarters in Long Island City, with the caption “Happy Birthday, @jetblue,” reflecting his continued fixation with the company.
At the time of his arrest. Vista was residing at a homeless shelter in Brooklyn.
