Rock Star Van Halen Faces Charge of Carrying Gun Into Airport

Rock star Eddie Van Halen will be charged today with carrying a loaded .25-caliber semiautomatic gun into the Burbank airport, a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of a $1,000 fine and six months in county jail, prosecutors said Monday.

The Beretta was found inside a piece of carry-on luggage and after being spotted in a routine X-ray security scan as Van Halen was about to board a United Airlines flight Friday afternoon, according to police.

Van Halen, 40, of Studio City was detained by airport police for about 30 minutes and the gun, registered under his name, was seized as evidence.

“He was very cooperative,” airport Police Chief Tony Lo-Verme said. “He stated he normally travels by charter, where you more or less do what you like. This time, he traveled by commercial aircraft and forgot to take (the gun) out.”

Van Halen is best known for his fast, masterful guitar playing as a member of the rock group by the same name, which recently hit the top of the music charts with the double-platinum album, “Balance.”

At the time of his arrest, Van Halen was on his way to the San Francisco area to perform in weekend concerts. They were postponed because of the illness of another band member, said a spokesman for the star.