A Massachusetts man allegedly tried to stab a flight attendant with a broken metal spoon and open the door of a United flight from Los Angeles to Boson, according to federal prosecutors.
Francisco Severo Torres, 33, was charged with one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon.
Authorities say that 45 minutes before the flight landed in Boston on Sunday, a cockpit alarm went off indicating that an emergency door between first class and coach had been deactivated.
Court documents state that when a flight attendant checked, they found that the handle had been moved from fully locked a quarter of the way to unlocked.
They also discovered that the emergency slide arming lever had been moved to the “disarmed” position. The flight attendant secured the door and emergency slide before reporting the situation to the flight’s captain.
Another flight attendant then reported that the suspect had been seen near the emergency door and had tampered with it, and when confronted he asked if any cameras had recorded him doing so.
Federal prosecutors say that the flight attendant notified the captain that the suspect was believed to be a threat to the flight and that he should land the aircraft as soon as possible.
Mr Torres is then accused of getting out of his seat and approaching two flight attendants before allegedly trying to stab one of them with a broken metal spoon.
Court documents state that the employee was hit on the neck three times by the suspect.
“Passengers then tackled Torres and he was restrained with the assistance of flight crew. Torres was immediately taken into custody upon the flight’s arrival to Boston,” prosecutors state.
Investigators say that the suspect asked a fellow passenger where on the flight safety card it showed where the emergency door handle was located.
The suspect was arrested Sunday night at Boston’s Logan Airport and made an initial appearance on Monday in US District Court. He was detained and will appear in court again on Thursday.
If convicted Mr Torres faces a maximum prison of life behind bars, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
