A Massachusetts man tried to open the emergency door during an American Airlines flight between Los Angeles and Boston. He later tried to stab a flight attendant in the neck with a broken metal spoon, federal prosecutors have stated.
Francisco Severo Torres, 33, (Leominster, Massachusetts), was arrested after landing in Boston and has been accused of attacking crew members and flight attendants using a dangerous weapon, the same sources said. The detainee has a hearing before court this Thursday.
The plane expected to land in 45 minutes when the crew heard an alarm that a side door of the plane had been unlocked. One of the flight attendants verified that the handle of that emergency exit had moved. Another flight attendant saw Torres near the door and believed he had pulled the lever.
The crew told the captain that there was a threat on board and that the plane had to land as soon as possible, according to authorities.
At that point, Torres approached two flight attendants, according to court documents, and one of them felt a metal object hit her in the neck three times.
The defendant told investigators that he went into the plane’s bathroom and broke a spoon in half to make a weapon. Prosecutors claimed that Torres told authorities that he wanted to open the door so he could jump out of the plane.
Investigators claimed that Torres knew that if he opened the door many people could die.
Authorities haven’t said where Torres got the spoon, but TSA rules allow airline passengers to keep metal utensils, except knives, on planes.
United Airlines has stated that no one was injured. If the detainee is found guilty of the charges, he could face a life sentence.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
