California military base locked down after vehicle runs gate

CORONADO, Calif. (AP) — A California military base was put in lockdown after a vehicle went through the facility’s main gate without stopping, a military spokesperson said.

Naval Base Coronado spokesperson Kevin Dixon told KNSD-TV that the driver was taken into custody by base guards after the “gate runner” drove without stopping Friday night through the entrance of Naval Air Station North Island, part of Naval Base Coronado.

Several patrol cars surrounded the entrance near 3rd Street and Alameda Boulevard in Coronado around 10:30 p.m., KNSD-TV reported.

Multiple gates at the air station near San Diego were closed while security personnel checked the facility, Dixon said.

A post on the Facebook page of Naval Base Coronado early Saturday said, “The main gate at Naval Air Station North Island is currently closed due to a security incident. Please stay away from the main gate while security conducts its investigation.”

The Coronado Police Department was investigating along with military police, KNSD-TV reported.

Naval Air Station North Island is one of eight U.S. military installations that make up Naval Base Coronado.

In February 2022, a motorist was found with bomb-making materials at the same gate on the base. The materials were not assembled into a device, and the driver was detained for questioning, the base said at the time.