A person has been arrested by the feds after he allegedly tried to stab a United Airways flight attendant within the neck and tried to open the airplane’s emergency exit door whereas aboard a flight to Boston Logan Worldwide Airport.
Francisco Severo Torres, 33, of Leominster, has been charged by the FBI with one rely of interference and tried interference with flight crew members and attendants utilizing a harmful weapon.
Torres was arrested Sunday night at Boston Logan Worldwide Airport following the flight from Los Angeles.
About 45 minutes earlier than the flight arrived in Boston, the United flight crew acquired an alarm within the cockpit that a starboard aspect door was disarmed.
A flight attendant discovered that the door’s locking deal with had been moved out of the absolutely locked place — a few quarter of the way in which towards the unlocked place — and that the emergency slide arming lever had been moved to the “disarmed” place. The flight attendant reported this to the captain and flight crew after securing the door and emergency slide.
Then, one other flight attendant reported that he had seen Torres close to the door, and believed Torres had tampered with the door. When a flight attendant confronted Torres about tampering with the door, he responded by asking if cameras confirmed him doing that.
Based on court docket paperwork, the flight attendant then alerted the captain that they believed Torres posed a risk to the plane, and that the captain wanted to land the plane as quickly as attainable.
Torres quickly after received out of his seat and approached the starboard aspect door, the place two flight attendants have been standing within the aisle. One of many flight attendants noticed Torres mouthing one thing that he couldn't hear.
The Leominster man then allegedly attacked one of many flight attendants utilizing a damaged metallic spoon, hitting the flight attendant on the neck thrice.
Passengers tackled Torres, and he was restrained with the help of flight crew. Torres was taken into custody upon the flight’s arrival to Boston.
In later interviews, passengers reported that Torres had requested a fellow passenger concerning the security card — and the place it confirmed the placement of the door deal with throughout the flight attendants’ security briefing previous to takeoff. Additionally, Torres was seen pacing within the galley earlier than attacking the flight attendant.
Following an preliminary look on Monday earlier than a U.S. District Courtroom Justice of the Peace, Torres was detained pending a listening to set for Thursday.