'Serial Stowaway’ Marilyn Hartman arrested in Florida

Marilyn Hartman, 62, allegedly sneaked aboard a Southwest Airlines flight from San Jose to Los Angeles on Monday, Aug. 4, 2014, before being arrested upon arrival. Authorities say she has a history of trying to sneak onto flights at San Francisco International Airport. less Marilyn Hartman, 62, allegedly sneaked aboard a Southwest Airlines flight from San Jose to Los Angeles on Monday, Aug. 4, 2014, before being arrested upon arrival. Authorities say she has a history of trying to ... more Photo: San Mateo County Sheriff Photo: San Mateo County Sheriff Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close 'Serial Stowaway’ Marilyn Hartman arrested in Florida 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

The 63-year-old “Serial Stowaway” who has repeatedly been jailed for security transgressions at SFO and other airports has run afoul of the law again, this time with an arrest in Florida.

The circumstances of Marilyn Hartman’s arrest were unclear, but a spokesman for the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that she was in custody and was being held on suspicion of identity theft, “swindling or defrauding an innkeeper for more than $300” and trespassing. Local media reports from Florida indicate she may have been using a fake identification card to stay in a luxury resort before being arrested.

Hartman has seen her share of trouble with West Coast law enforcement agencies in the recent past, being taken into custody or arrested nearly a dozen times after trying to sneak onto airplanes or access secure airport areas, police have said. In August, she sneaked onto a plane from Mineta San Jose International Airport, but she was arrested when she landed at Los Angeles International Airport, according to authorities.

After that arrest, Hartman told the media that she was drawn to airports because she was homeless and they were safer than the streets.

“I have been in some pretty awful situations,” she said. “Ironically, I’m a student of the ’60s, when they had sit-ins, and I viewed myself more as a sit-in at the airport to make a point, (and it) got out of control.”

She was arrested again just a few weeks later, this time at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix for allegedly trying to get past security and then loitering in a baggage claim area.

Hartman has no known family, and each time she has been taken into custody she has declined to fill out emergency contact information, said Steve Wagstaffe, San Mateo County’s district attorney.

After one of Hartman’s Northern California arrests, she was referred to a residential program offering treatment for people with mental illness, but she checked out of the facility twice, Wagstaffe said.

“She didn’t like it. It has rules,” Wagstaffe said. “She walked away.”

It was unclear what charges Hartman could face in Florida, but an update on her status was expected Tuesday.

Kale Williams is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: kwilliams@sfchronicle.com