Passenger video shows Leominster man accused of attacking United Airlines flight attendant
BOSTON - New video from a passenger shows a Leominster man accused of attacking a United Airlines flight attendant on a flight to Boston over the weekend.
Francisco Severo Torres, 33, was arrested at Logan Airport Sunday evening after the flight landed safely. Investigators said he tried to open an emergency exit door and stab a flight attendant on board United flight 2609 from Los Angeles to Boston on Sunday.
An alarm sounded in the cockpit 45 minutes before landing, signaling that the side door between first class and coach had been 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 U.S. Attorney's office said in a statement.
Video from passenger Lisa Olsen showed Torres ranting from his seat before he moved out into the aisle saying something about "taking over the plane."
Based on interviews with the crew, prosecutors say Torres tried to stab a flight attendant in the neck three times with a sharp metal object - a spoon with the bowl end broken off - after being confronted about tampering with the door.
"Passengers tackled TORRES to the ground and he was restrained with the assistance of the flight crew," a Boston police detective wrote in an affidavit.
Passengers later told police that even before the flight took off from Los Angeles, Torres asked another traveler where the door handle of the emergency exit was located.
In an interview with police, Torres allegedly said he believed the flight attendant was going to kill him, so he tried to kill the flight attendant first. He said he broke the spoon in half in the bathroom to make a weapon, according to prosecutors.
Torres is charged with one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon. He appeared in federal court Monday in Boston and is due back for a hearing on Thursday. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
United Airlines said Torres will be banned from flying with them, pending an investigation.
"Thanks to the quick action of our crew and customers, one customer was restrained after becoming a security concern on United flight 2609 from Los Angeles to Boston," the airline said in a statement. "We have zero tolerance for any type of violence on our flights."
The Transportation Security Administration would not say if there was an air marshal on the flight.
"For security reasons, TSA will not confirm the deployment of Federal Air Marshals on flights. Federal Air Marshals are trained to address a wide array of risks to the aircraft, flight crew and passengers.," the agency said in a statement.