Aditya Singh, a resident of California, was detained in the restricted area of the airport on Saturday after he showed airline employees an ID badge that was earlier reported lost, Chicago Tribune reported.

Assistant State’s Attorney Kathleen Hagerty explained to a bond court that Singh lived undetected in the airport since October 19, 2020 because he was “scared to go home due to COVID” and that other passengers where giving him food.

According to the Tribune, Cook County Judge Susana Ortiz was aghast after the details of the story were relayed.

“You’re telling me that an unauthorized, nonemployee individual was allegedly living within a secure part of the O’Hare airport terminal from October 19, 2020, to January 16, 2021, and was not detected? I want to understand you correctly,” Ortiz said, according to the newspaper.

Assistant Public Defender Courtney Smallwood assigned to Singh said the defendant was an unemployed resident of a Los Angeles suburb with a master’s degree in hospitality, Chicago Tribune reported.

Assistant State’s Attorney Kathleen Hagerty explained to a bond court that Singh lived undetected in the airport since October 19, 2020 because he was “scared to go home due to COVID” and that other passengers where giving him food.

According to the Tribune, Cook County Judge Susana Ortiz was aghast after the details of the story were relayed.

“You’re telling me that an unauthorized, nonemployee individual was allegedly living within a secure part of the O’Hare airport terminal from October 19, 2020, to January 16, 2021, and was not detected? I want to understand you correctly,” Ortiz said, according to the newspaper.

Assistant Public Defender Courtney Smallwood assigned to Singh said the defendant was an unemployed resident of a Los Angeles suburb with a master’s degree in hospitality, Chicago Tribune reported.