Flight attendant accused of leaving behind cocaine stash arrested in NY

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – A flight attendant who ran from Los Angeles International Airport moments before a search turned up 66 pounds (30 kg) of cocaine in her luggage surrendered to authorities in New York yesterday, law enforcement officials said.

The suspect, who was not identified by name, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in Los Angeles, said Special Agent Timothy Massino of the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Massino declined to release further information about the case, citing an ongoing investigation.

Law enforcement officials have not said which airline employed the flight attendant.  Authorities have previously said that the woman fled a terminal at LAX on Friday evening when she was selected for a random screening, prompting a search that turned up the cocaine in her carry-on bags.

NBC News reported on its website that the woman escaped from the airport on foot after making a nervous phone call in a language not recognized by officers, leaving behind a pair of designer shoes.