Police say woman, 71, had "blackjack" club in TIA security line

TAMPA -- Airport police arrested a 71-year-old woman early today after they say she tried to bring a small club through a security screening lane.

Rafaela Mendez was passing through a security lane at Tampa International Airport about 4 a.m. when an X-ray operator spotted a concealed leather club, commonly known as a blackjack, in her carry-on bag.

Mendez, a native of Puerto Rico who lives in Tampa, told authorities she carried the weapon "to smack people's hands when they got fresh," an arrest report shows.

Mendez was booked into the Orient Road Jail on a misdemeanor charge of carrying a concealed weapon. Jail records show she was also booked on a Hillsborough County warrant for obtaining property with a worthless check, a felony.

- Casey Cora, Times staff writer