WBRZ - Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE - A judge has ruled that a 37-year-old man who locked himself in the cockpit of an empty and idle American Eagle jet Aug. 22 at Baton Rouge Metro Airport was insane at the time of the act.

No one was injured during the incident.

Andrew Alessi, of Baton Rouge, was found not guilty Thursday of interference with security personnel, a charge that carries a possible 10 years in prison.

A non-jury trial was conducted before U.S. District Judge James J. Brady, who had sent Alessi to a federal prison hospital in Texas for mental examination in September and October.

Brady said Alessi was competent for the one-day trial, but concluded that at the time of the airport incident, Alessi "was actively psychotic, hyper-religious, manic and delusional."