A passenger suspected of trying to open an emergency exit and attacking a crew member on a flight from Los Angeles to Boston has been arrested and charged, the U.S. Justice Department announced on Monday.
Francisco Severo Torres, 33, was arrested upon arrival at Boston airport on Sunday night and arraigned on Monday before a judge in the east coast city, according to a statement from the Massachusetts state attorney.
About 45 minutes before the United Airlines flight was due to arrive, an alarm alerted the crew that a side door had been disarmed, according to the document. Upon inspection, an agent found that the handle was no longer in the secure position.
A fellow officer then reported seeing Torres near the door.
After being briefly questioned, the suspect lunged at a crew member “with a broken metal spoon” and struck him three times in the neck before being restrained by other passengers and airline employees, prosecutors reported.
In a statement, United Airlines said no serious injuries were reported. The airline added that it had no tolerance for violence on its flights and that the customer would be banned from flying with United pending the outcome of the investigation.
Charged with disrupting the crew with a dangerous weapon, Francisco Torres faces life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
