Neighbor of man arrested in crash at Detroit Metro Airport terminal recalls his actions hours before incident

The neighbor of the man suspected of crashing his vehicle into the Evans Terminal at Detroit Metro Airport on Friday is speaking out.

Ken Garvin said he and the man were friendly. That's why when debris suddenly started flying into his yard at 2 a.m. on Friday, he was surprised.

"Started hearing a lot of crashing and banging going on, and also, you get up, look out the windows, he was in between houses and he was attempting to clear vegetation," Garvin said.

Photos show the garbage can, fencing and shovels thrown across the backyard.

"I was quite sure he was having one of his episodes. I've never seen that happen before," Garvin said.

Garvin has lived next to his neighbor for 25 years.

"He's a nice, easygoing guy. Generally," he said.

Garvin said at one point that morning, police were called to the Southgate, Michigan, neighborhood.

"They basically said they had already been here, and that everything seemed to be okay," he said.

But it wasn't okay. 

Later on Friday, Garvin's neighbor allegedly crashed his vehicle through the front doors of the terminal at the airport based in Romulus, Michigan.

"I thought he was in the house sleeping the whole time," Garvin said.

The suspect made a baffling statement after the incident.

"That he was there to meet with Tom Cruise and save his dad," Tadarial Sturdivant, senior vice president of emergency and support services with the Wayne County Airport Authority, said.

When Garvin learned his neighbor was the suspect, he was devastated.

"Still am, still hard for me to picture all this and to believe that it took place, because I mean, the throwing of stuff over the fence, all that minor little issue, it was a little scary, but wasn't that big of a deal, you know. It's just an episode. Going to the airport and maneuvering around, it's not like this guy," Garvin said.

He hopes his neighbor gets help.

"I don't want him just to go back to doing this stuff some more in it, something else, because it could, something bad could happen again. So, I don't know how the system works with that, if they have special situations for mental illness, you know, regulate, watch over him or something," Garvin said.

He wants the world to know that his neighbor is a good person.

"You can't just lock him up and throw away the key, you know. I know some people would think that, but like I say, if he takes his medication, he's a normal, everyday dude. You know, that's the key to the whole equation, keeping him on his meds," Garvin said.

CBS News Detroit has reached out to the Wayne County Airport Authority to ask if the 67-year-old will face charges, but has not yet heard back.

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, get help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Trained crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day to talk about anything.

In addition, help is available from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. Call the NAMI Helpline at 800-950-6264 or text "HelpLine" to 62640. There are more than 600 local NAMI organizations and affiliates across the country, many of which offer free support and education programs.