A man on a plane flying from from Los Angeles to Boston has been arrested after stabbing a flight attendant and attempting to open the aircraft’s emergency door, the justice department has announced.
The Massachusetts man, Francisco Severo Torres, 33, was arrested at Boston Logan international airport after United Airlines flight 2609 landed and he was charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants and using a dangerous weapon.
The flight crew was first notified of a disarmed side door between the first class and coach sections after an alarm in the cockpit went off 45 minutes before landing. A flight attendant inspected the door and found the locking handle was moved out of the locked position. The flight attendant then secured the door and reported the incident to the captain and flight crew.
Torres was suspected of tampering with the door after another flight attendant observed him. When confronted about it, Torres allegedly responded by asking if there were any cameras showing that he tampered with the door. The flight attendant notified the captain that they believed Torres posed a threat and urged the captain to land as soon as possible.
Torres then got out of his seat and approached the door. Torres then allegedly struck one of the flight attendants standing in the aisle near the door with a broken metal spoon, striking them three times in the neck. Other passengers tackled Torres until he was restrained by the flight crew.
United Airlines did not report any other injuries on the flight. The airline also banned Torres from any future flights following the scene. In a statement, United said it was cooperating with law enforcement officials in the investigation into the incident.
“Thanks to the quick action of our crew and customers, one customer was restrained after becoming a security concern … We have zero tolerance for any type of violence on our flights.”
Immediately upon landing, Torres was taken into custody.
If convicted, Torres could face a life prison sentence with supervised release of up to five years, as well as a fine of up to $250,000.
The flight attendants union, the Association of Flight Attendants, said in a statement that they were grateful for the FBI’s quick action and “proud of the crew of United Flight 2609 and relieved that no one sustained life-threatening physical injuries.
“Violence has no place anywhere and certainly not in a closed cabin flying several miles in the air.”
The union called on Congress to pass the Protection from Abusive Passengers Act, urging the need for a list of nationally banned disruptive passengers.
