Brothers Jailed, Accused Of Attacking Pilot At MIA
MIAMI (CBS4) – Two brothers remain in the Miami-Dade County jail Thursday after Miami-Dade police say they attacked an American Airlines pilot who kicked them off his plane at Miami International Airport.
Luis and Jonathan Baez were on American Airlines flight 1755 which was about to take off from MIA bound for San Francisco Wednesday night when a flight attendant noticed Jonathan Baez, 27, was sleeping and not wearing his seat belt.
The flight attendant tried to wake him up so he could buckle his seatbelt before take-off but he was unresponsive and appeared to be intoxicated or on narcotics, according to the arrest affidavit.
"He was kind of leaning across a couple of seats and he was really incoherent," said Florida passenger Cynthia Austin."We knew that these guys were really weird in the beginning and they shouldn't have been let on the plane because they acting kind of funny."
When the pilot was notified, he returned the plane to the gate and woke up the sleeping passenger in order to tell him he had to leave the plane due to his condition.
Baez and his brother, states the affidavit, became belligerent as they departed the plane and even threatened the pilot. Luis Baez, 29, said, "When you fly to San Juan, I will have you killed," according to the report.
Both men left the plane but Jonathan Baez re-entered moments later and punched the pilot in the face. A flight attendant tried to break up the fight and she was also hit in the shoulder.
"He just went 'bam!'and he slapped them really heard and the captain was stunned and so was everybody on the plane." said Austin. "We were just amazed that this could happen."
Once the brothers were on the jet bridge walking toward the terminal, with the pilot behind them, the Baez' brothers jumped the pilot again and beat him some more, states the report.
The pilot, who has not been identified, tried to get away by running through the terminal but the men ran after him and continued to beat him.
Eventually, other flight crew members and passengers held down the brothers until police arrived.
The Miami-based pilot suffered cuts and bruises to his face and blurred vision, and he told police he was afraid Luis Baez would follow through on his death threat, according to the police report.
Another pilot filled in and flew the plane carrying 176 passengers and six crew members to San Francisco International Airport.
Jonathan Baez was held Thursday on $9,000 bond on charges of battery and aggravated battery. Luis Baez was held on $12,500 bond on charges of aggravated assault and aggravated battery.
