Santa Maria Man Arrested in Helicopter Hijack Attempt
Zachary Hinders Reportedly Said He Was Ordered by Fidel Castro
A 21-year-old Santa Maria resident who said he was acting under the orders of Fidel Castro tried to hijack a helicopter at the Yuba County Airport last Thursday.
Yuba County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Lt. Damon Gil said Zachary Hinders sprinted toward the commercial chopper and jumped in the back seat at around 4:30 p.m. shortly after it landed. Once inside, Hinders started shouting and gesticulating wildly, demanding the pilot take off. He was not carrying a weapon, said Gil.
The pilot responded by getting out of his seat, walking around to Hinders, and telling him to get out, said Gil. Hinders refused at first but eventually exited the helicopter and ran away. Deputies arrested him shortly thereafter and charged him with burglary. He’s being held in the Yuba County Jail.
Gil said there was no indication that drugs or alcohol played a role in the incident, and he said Hinders’s motive is unknown. He explained, though, that deputies had made contact with Hinders earlier in the day when they received calls he was “acting strangely” in the front yard of a nearby home. Unable to charge him with any crime, deputies transported him to the house where he was staying.
