A male passenger on a trans-US airliner en route from Los Angeles to Boston has been arrested on charges of assault, including attacking a flight attendant with a broken steel spoon while trying to open the plane’s emergency door, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
The suspect, identified as Francisco Severo Torres, a 33-year-old resident of Riominster, Massachusetts, was subdued with the help of other passengers after causing a disturbance on United Airlines flight 2609 the day before, and was arrested after arriving at Boston’s Logan International Airport, Boston prosecutors said. announced.
He was charged with obstruction of business and assault with a dangerous weapon, prosecutors said.
Torres, who was arrested, will go through preliminary interrogation in a federal court on the 6th, and the first trial will be held on the 9th. E-mails sent to his public defender have not yet been answered.
Prosecutors explained that about 45 minutes before the flight in question landed at Boston Airport, an alarm sounded that a side emergency exit door had suddenly been opened, and the flight attendants responded.
A crew member found that the emergency door’s lock was turned about a quarter of the way from the fully locked position to the open position, and the handle of the emergency exit slide was in the fully unlocked position, prosecutors said.
It is known that the crew hurriedly turned the knob back to its original position and prepared for landing.
One of the flight attendants saw Torres near the door and, believing it was him, reported to the captain that there was a danger and that they should land as soon as possible.
At that moment, Torres got up from his seat and lunged at the two flight attendants with a broken metal spoon, stabbing one of them in the neck three times.
Passengers nearby pounced on Torres, overpowered him, and tied him up with the help of the flight attendant.
UA Airlines said no one was injured on board and Flight 2609 arrived safely at Boston airport and handed over the suspect to investigators.
The airline said in a zero-tolerance policy that Torres would be banned from flying on the airline’s planes in the future.
Torres could face up to life in prison if convicted.
[보스턴= AP/뉴시스]
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.