Authorities searching for man who tried to steal private airplane at Bay Area airport

SANTA ROSA, Calif. -- Authorities are searching for a man who tried to steal a private airplane over the weekend at Sonoma County Airport.

About 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, a mechanic was working on a plane at the airport, and while the plane was running, the suspect opened the aircraft's door, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.

The mechanic kicked the man away and told him to leave, but the suspect then ran toward a hangar with private airplanes.

He got into a plane and turned on the ignition and several lights, the sheriff's office said in a post on social media. The mechanic yelled at him to get out and the suspect then left the plane and ran toward a wooded area.

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Deputies searched for the man using a drone, a police dog and a California Highway Patrol helicopter, but he wasn't found.

The sheriff's office said it appears the suspect managed to enter airport through a gap in fencing related to a construction project.

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Detectives are investigating and the sheriff's office released photos of the suspect.

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's property crimes detectives at (707) 565-2185.