Man Arrested After Trying to Stab A Flight Attendant Using A Broken Metal Spoon On A Plane
Seriously, people are crazy. What a time we live in…
Reports are stating that a man has been arrested after he tried to stab a flight attendant and was trying to open the emergency door on a plane.
According to reports, a Massachusetts man attempted to stab a flight attendant in the neck with a broken metal spoon three times during an United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston on Monday.
He also tried to open an emergency exit door, according to the Justice Department.
During the flight, the crew saw an alarm that a door in the plane had been disarmed and, after inspection, a flight attendant saw the door’s locking handle had been pushed out of the fully locked position and an emergency slide arming lever had been disarmed, according to the Justice Department.
Francisco Severo Torres, 33, has been arrested and faces one charge of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon.
“According to court documents, the flight attendant then notified the captain that they believed Torres posed a threat to the aircraft and that the captain needed to land the aircraft as soon as possible,” the Justice Department said.
Soon after, Torres allegedly got out of his seat, mouthed something, and began thrusting “towards one of the flight attendants in a stabbing motion with a broken metal spoon, hitting the flight attendant on the neck area three times,” the department said.
Other passengers helped tackled Torres and detained him until the flight landed so he could be taken into custody.
According to a criminal complaint, Torres admitted to investigators that he broke a spoon in half a bathroom on the airplane to use as a weapon.
He also told law enforcement that he tried to open the emergency door and “had gotten the idea” to jump out of the plane, according to the complaint.
United Airlines also says it has banned Torres from flying on future flights following this incident.
“Thanks to the quick action of our crew and customers, one customer was restrained after becoming a security concern on United flight 2609 from Los Angeles to Boston,” United said in a statement.
“We have zero tolerance for any type of violence on our flights, and this customer will be banned from flying on United pending an investigation. We are cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation,” the statement says.
The charge of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
