Tempe man arrested at airport with loaded rifle

PHOENIX (AP) — A Tempe man is in custody for allegedly pointing a loaded AR-15 rifle toward a woman and her teenage daughter inside Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Phoenix police say 54-year-old Peter Nathan Steinmetz was arrested Friday and booked into jail on suspicion of one count of disorderly conduct with a weapon.

Steinmetz’s bond was set at $5,000 Monday at his initial court appearance. He doesn’t have a lawyer yet.

According to a court document, Steinmetz was carrying a rifle and stopped in front of Terminal 4’s “B” passenger gates.

Steinmetz allegedly removed the rifle from his shoulder, causing the muzzle to face a mother and her 17-year-old daughter. They told police they feared for their lives.

Steinmetz says he only came to the airport to buy a cup of coffee.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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