'Homemade' Weapon Found In Baggage Of Traveler

CHICAGO (STNG) ― A Berwyn man was arrested Thursday after attempting to carry a loaded weapon onto an aircraft at O'Hare International Airport -- the second such arrest in as many days.

Rodolfo Duarte, 27, of the 6300 block of West 37th Street in Berwyn, was arrested Thursday at O'Hare Airport and charged later the same day with boarding an aircraft with a weapon, according to police News Affairs Officer David Banks.

Jefferson District police indicated that a loaded "homemade" firearm, which has no make or model but has the ability to fire, was found inside his bag. One bullet was in the chamber and another was outside the chamber of the gun when he was arrested Thursday afternoon, district police said.

Duarte was scheduled to appear Jan. 15 in Northwest Felony Court (Br. 50), 5555 W. Grand Ave., on Jan. 15, Banks said. Bond information for Duarte was not immediately available.

On Dec. 6, two days prior to Durate's arrest, Goce Stojanovski, 47, of the 1100 block of West Driftwood Trail in Crown Point, Ind. was charged with trying to board an aircraft at O'Hare with a weapon, according to police.

On Dec. 7, Cook County Associate Judge Adam Bourgeois set bond at $75,000 for Stojanovski and scheduled a preliminary hearing for Jan. 13 in Northwest Felony Court (Br. 50) at 5555 W. Grand Ave., according to Cook County State's Attorney's office spokesman Andy Conklin.

Stojanovski was arrested by Chicago Police without incident about 4 p.m. Tuesday after he went through an O'Hare security checkpoint to try to board a flight to Florida, according to court records.

A loaded .25-caliber semi-automatic handgun was found wrapped in a napkin in a pocket of his carry-on briefcase, with five live rounds, including one in the chamber, according to court records.

Police said the rounds were found outside the weapon in a separate container.

Stojanovski, who told police he was born in Yugoslavia, has no criminal record, Conklin said.

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