CHAOS ON UNITED 2609: Man arrested for trying to open plane door midair, stabbing attendant with spoon
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A Massachusetts man, who tried to open an airplane door midair and then stabbed a flight attendant with a broken spoon, has been detained. Francisco Severo Torres, 33, was slapped with one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon.
The air traffic control was radioed by the captain of the flight who informed that Torres had been detained by passengers but was "not going quietly". Apparently, six people had restrained him as the plane landed.
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When and where did the incident took place?
On Sunday, March 4, 2023, Torres boarded Boston-bound United Airlines Flight 2609 in Los Angeles. A member of the cabin crew reported that an emergency exit had been tampered with while 45 minutes of the journey still remained. One flight attendant noticed that the door's locking handle had been moved out of the fully locked position about a quarter of the way toward the unlocked position. Authorities said that the emergency slide arming lever had also been moved to the disarmed position. The door and slide were secured by the crew.
Torres stabbed flight attendant
Torres was seen near the door by another flight attendant who believed he had tampered with it. The captain was informed by the crew that Torres was a threat and the plane should be landed as soon as possible. Prosecutors claimed that at that point, Torres got out of his seat, approached two flight attendants standing in the aisle, and used the spoon to make stabbing motions. He hit a flight attendant three times in the neck area. He was restrained by other passengers and crew.
What did the captain tell the air traffic control?
The captain told air traffic control that they had had an incident. "The person is detained, attempted opening of an external emergency door," he said, in audio obtained by CBS Boston. "That person was subdued and is being detained right now. However, he's not going quietly; he's just laying there with six able bodies on top of him," he added.
United Airlines praises crew and passengers
"Thanks to the quick action of our crew and customers, one customer was restrained after becoming a security concern on a flight from Los Angeles to Boston," United Airline said in a statement. "The flight landed safely and was met by law enforcement. No serious injuries were reported," they added.
Torres was immediately banned from flying on their flights. "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 airlines said
Torres had apparently asked one passenger where on the safety card the door handle was located during the flight attendants' pre-takeoff safety briefing. Another passenger said that prior to the attack on the flight attendant, Torres was seen pacing around the plane.
The charge of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon has a sentence of up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
