1 arrested for allegedly throwing nails at Santa Monica Airport

Police are investigating a series of incidents in which someone threw roofing nails onto the driveways of three flight schools at Santa Monica Airport, where residents and community groups have sought to restrict their operations.

So far, one person has been arrested on suspicion of attempted felony vandalism. Police said Jeremiah Kean Mayman, 31, of Venice was booked Thursday night after he allegedly tossed 1½-inch nails onto flight school property as he rode past on a bicycle.

Mayman has been released on bail, which was set at $20,000. Authorities are trying to determine whether he is connected to six other incidents between late March and mid-May in which hundreds of roofing nails were strewn in the driveways of Justice Aviation, Krueger Aviation and American Flyers.

Justice and American Flyers are the two largest flight schools at the airport. Krueger is an aircraft dealer, but also offers flight lessons.

The flight school incidents are the latest development in a long-standing controversy over whether Santa Monica Airport should be closed or have its flight operations restricted.

More recently, community groups have called for limits on flight instruction around the airport, such as flying box patterns over neighborhoods to practice takeoffs and landings.

City officials have proposed a plan to subsidize flight schools to move their pattern flying to other general aviation airports in less-populated areas.

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Photo: A plane takes off last year at Santa Monica Airport. Credit: Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times.