A man who was flying from Los Angeles to Boston is facing federal charges after he allegedly assaulted a flight attendant and tried to pry open the plane’s emergency exit.
According to a flight attendant, the man was messing with the emergency exit of the plane during a United Airlines flight out of Los Angeles.
The federal prosecutor’s office reported that prior to taxiing at Boston Logan International Airport, airplane staff was informed that the “starboard side door” had been disarmed. A crew member secured the handle before alerting the others. The officials claimed that one of the staff observed him by the door earlier and thought he may have messed with it.
“A flight attendant then confronted Torres about tampering with the door, to which he allegedly responded by asking if there were cameras showing that he had done so,” stated the prosecutor’s office.
Torres was determined to be a risk to the flight, with the captain being told soon thereafter to taxi the plane. The ensuing fiasco then began, with Torress approaching a door near where two flight attendants were standing.
“Torres then allegedly thrust towards one of the flight attendants in a stabbing motion with a broken metal spoon, hitting the flight attendant on the neck area three times,” said the prosecutor’s office.
Passengers reportedly intervened, tackling the man after he allegedly attempted to stab a flight attendant using a broken spoon.
REPORT: Massachusetts resident, Francisco Severo Torres IDENTIFIED as man who attempted to stab a flight attendant in the neck and open a plane's emergency door on a Sunday Flight from Los Angeles to Boston…pic.twitter.com/jzPRHuu5k5
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) March 7, 2023
“Approximately 45 minutes prior to landing, the flight crew received an alarm in the cockpit that a starboard side door located between the first class and coach sections of the aircraft was disarmed. Upon inspection, a flight attendant found that the door’s locking handle had been moved out of the fully locked position – approximately a quarter of the way towards the towards the unlocked position – and that the emergency slide arming lever had been moved to the “disarmed” position. The flight attendant reported this to the captain and flight crew after securing the door and emergency slide.” the Justice Department posted in a press release.
No injuries have occurred as a result of the dispute, reported a United Airlines representative.
Charges filed against Torres, who is reportedly scheduled to appear in federal court on Thursday, include one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon.
