US Man Arrested After Allegedly Trying To Open Plane’s Emergency Door, Stab Crew

Washington:

A 33-year-old man from Leominster, Massachusetts, has been arrested and charged for allegedly making an attempt to open an emergency exit door whereas aboard a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston after which making an attempt to stab a flight attendant within the neck, the US Department of Justice mentioned.

“A Leominster, Mass. man has been arrested and charged for allegedly attempting to open an emergency exit door while aboard a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston and then allegedly attempting to stab a flight attendant in the neck,” US Department of Justice mentioned within the assertion.

The US Department of Justice mentioned that Francisco Severo Torres was charged with one depend of interference and tried interference with flight crew members and attendants utilizing a harmful weapon.

According to the assertion, Torres was arrested on Sunday night at Boston Logan International Airport and after showing in court docket, was detained pending a listening to scheduled on March 9.

According to the charging paperwork, Torres was a passenger aboard a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston. Approximately 45 minutes earlier than touchdown, the flight crew obtained an alarm within the cockpit {that a} starboard facet door situated between the primary class and coach sections of the plane was disarmed.

A flight attendant upon inspection discovered that the door’s locking deal with had been moved out of the absolutely locked place, roughly 1 / 4 of the best way in direction of the unlocked place and that the emergency slide arming lever had been moved to the “disarmed” place.

The flight attendant reported the matter to the captain and flight crew after securing the door and emergency slide, in keeping with the assertion. In subsequent discussions, a fellow flight attendant reported that he had noticed Torres close to the door and believed Torres had tampered with the door.

A flight attendant then spoke to Torres about tampering with the door. As per the assertion, Francisco Severo Torres allegedly responded by asking if there have been cameras displaying that he had executed so.

According to court docket paperwork, the flight attendant knowledgeable the captain that they believed Torres posed a menace to the plane and that the captain wanted to land the plane as quickly as doable. Shortly after, it’s alleged that Torres approached the starboard facet door the place two flight attendants have been standing within the aisle.

One of the flight attendants witnessed Torres mouthing one thing that he couldn’t hear. He then allegedly thrust in direction of one of many flight attendants in a stabbing movement with a damaged steel spoon, hitting the flight attendant on the neck space thrice.

Passengers then tackled Torres and he was restrained with the help of the flight crew. Torres was instantly taken into custody after the flight landed in Boston. It is alleged that passengers who have been aboard the flight throughout subsequent interviews reported that Torres requested a fellow passenger in regards to the location of the door deal with within the security card.

Torres requested the query to a fellow passenger in the course of the flight attendant’s security briefing. He was seen pacing in a galley previous to attacking the flight attendant, in keeping with the assertion.

According to the assertion, the cost of interference and tried interference with flight crew members and attendants utilizing a harmful weapon gives for a sentence of as much as life in jail, as much as 5 years of supervised launch and a wonderful of as much as USD 250,000.