Defaced entrances at Billings Airport

Billings, Montana – On December 11, shortly after midnight, someone was observed defacing the Billings Airport’s front.

A bystander saw a man throw a rock through one of the curved glass entrance ways, according to Lt. Matt Lennick.

Additionally, they observed the person trying to start a fire in one of the building’s entrances and spray painting a portion of the structure.

Arriving at the airport at a conspicuous and exposed location.

Billings Logan International Airport Director of Aviation and Transit, Jeff Roach said that the acts of vandalism are all “at the front of the terminal so they are very visible and probably why the individual choose to do the vandalism in that location. We will be addressing that area in the future, expanding it, but that’s still a few years down the road so to have this happen now we are going to have to invest money in repairs and cleaning of the paint off of the windows and columns in front of the terminal. So that’s just revenue that could have been used in other locations to improve the quality of experience that passengers have here.”

Lennick claims that after stopping the defendant from hurling lighter fluid onto a fire, the bystander was attacked.

Shortly after the disturbance began, Billings and Airport Police arrived and took into custody Jared Saffold, 27, on charges of felony arson, assault, and criminal mischief.

Roach went on to say that “it’s very discouraging when we work very hard here at the airport to provide a quality experience for the traveling public, and to have someone come in and vandalize our facilities, it’s just very discouraging.”

Restorations are already underway to repair the look of Billings Logan International Airport, replace custom-curved glass, and get rid of spray paint streaks.