Last week, everyone stood shocked in front of their television screens at the news of a fatal crash between an American Airlines plane and a Black Hawk military helicopter. The horrifying footage spread across the internet like a wildfire. However, the suspects behind the leak of the footage are in massive trouble.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said 21-year-old Mohamed Mbengue and 45-year-old Jonathan Savoy were arrested and charged with computer trespass in the days following the crash, per USA TODAY. The two aircrafts collided in midair while headed to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport the evening of Jan. 29. Following a dramatic explosion, the two aircrafts plunged into the Potomac River. All 67 people aboard both planes - passengers, pilots and crew - are presumed dead, authorities said.
MWAA authorities say Mbengue and Savoy are accused of “making an unauthorized copy of records belonging to the Airports Authority,” per the report. Suspiciously enough, Mbengue was arrested on Jan. 31, the same day CNN published exclusive, gruesome surveillance footage of the crash. Savoy was arrested days later on Feb. 2. According to ABC’s report, the employees were connected to the leak of the CNN videos. However, authorities haven’t specified that nor the nature behind their arrests.
In the videos published by CNN, one appeared to be taken from the airport looking over the runways and the other appeared to be recorded from the shoreline by the river, possibly by someone’s cellphone. CNN did not disclose who they received the footage from.
Savoy was released on a summons by a magistrate judge and Mbengue was booked into Arlington County Adult Detention Center but was also released, per MWAA. There’s no telling at the moment what their fate will be.