A man has been charged after allegedly getting high on methamphetamines and stealing an airplane.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced in a news release on Friday, Jan. 30, that it arrested Christian Estoque of Pomona, Calif., and charged the 38-year-old with operating an unregistered aircraft at municipal airports.

Estoque was charged in a federal criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Jan. 28. 

The arrest came after a single-engine plane was reported stolen by its owner on Jan. 3 at the Auburn Municipal Airport in Washington. The plane was eventually recovered three days later, on Jan. 6, at the Corona Municipal Airport in Corona, Calif., according to the FBI, which cited the criminal complaint.

During their investigation, Corona Police discovered that the plane’s transponder — a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response — had been manipulated during the flight. Authorities believe that this was done to “conceal where the plane had been over a three-day period.”

However, eyewitnesses told authorities that they saw the plane at an airport in Kelso, Wash., on Jan. 4. A man — later determined to be Estoque — and a woman, who had been driving a rented vehicle, were spotted near the plane and were suspected of having flown in it, per the complaint.

It wasn’t until a second attempted theft of a plane that had not been registered since 2017 that a suspect was finally caught. Estoque was seen attempting to steal the aircraft at the Corona Municipal Airport on Jan. 27.

“At that time, FBI agents conducting surveillance witnessed Estoque enter that aircraft and power on the plane’s engine,” the FBI said. “Agents concluded Estoque was in the process of stealing the plane and took him into custody.” 

The FBI said that Estoque is “not a registered pilot and is not listed on the registration for the plane he attempted to fly.” The 38-year-old allegedly admitted to “being under the influence of methamphetamine when operating the plane,” the FBI said, citing the complaint.

The FBI’s Los Angeles bureau shared photos on Facebook of Estoque and his partner at what appeared to be a parking site for an airport and beside a small plane. Authorities said in the post that the “photos included in the criminal complaint depict individuals associated with the stolen aircraft.” 

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It is unclear whether Estoque’s female partner would also face charges. 

Estoque made an initial appearance before a federal magistrate on Thursday, Jan. 29, and was later released on bond. 

The FBI said it is still investigating the incident.