Midair Mayhem: Man Tries to Open Emergency Door & Stabs Flight Attendant; Arrested in US

A 33-year-old man was arrested for attempting to open an emergency exit door on a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston and also attempting to stab a flight attendant in the neck.

The arrested accused, Francisco Severo Torres (33) from Leominster, Massachusetts, has been charged with one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon. He was arrested on Monday evening at Boston Logan International Airport.

According to sources, Torres was on a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston on March 5. Around 45 minutes before its landing, the flight crew found that a side door of the aircraft was disarmed by Torres.

When he was confronted, it is alleged that Torres got out of his seat and approached the starboard side door where two flight attendants were standing in the aisle. He 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.

Passengers overpowered Torres and he was restrained with the assistance of the flight crew. Torres was immediately taken into custody upon the flight’s arrival in Boston.

The charge of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon amounts to a sentence of up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.