2 tried to take razors onto flights at LaGuardia Airport, officials say

The man had a straight razor concealed in the removable sole of a shoe, officials said. The woman had a straight razor blade hidden in the band of a baseball hat, tucked behind the size label, they said.

Both passengers were detained by the Port Authority after the illegal items were detected at a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint Monday at LaGuardia Airport, officials said.

Now, both are facing charges.

The TSA could not immediately say if the two passengers were traveling together — or knew each other.

A spokesman for the Port Authority said both passengers were from the Bronx and both were attempting to board a flight to Miami when they were stopped within 15 minutes of each other.

The Port Authority identified the man as Miguel Rosario Munoz, 40, and the woman as Lizbeth M. Esteras, 18. They said the man was stopped at a checkpoint at 5:30 a.m.; the woman, at 5:45 a.m.

The TSA and Port Authority both said Munoz also had “a tube of cologne” in the hidden compartment in the sole of his shoe.

Those items were confiscated, the TSA said.

Both passengers were charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, the Port Authority said. Arraignment details were not immediately available on Tuesday.

The investigation is continuing.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”