The Commonwealth of Massachusetts advertisement that a passenger named Francisco Torres Severo, 33 years old, was arrested for trying to open the emergency door of a United Airlines flight who was moving from Los Angeles to Boston. After failing, the defendant would have tried to stab an assistant flight in the neck.
It is worth mentioning that the event took place on March 5. According to the interviewees, when the United Airlines flight was 45 minutes from its destination, the plane’s cabin received an alert because a starboard door was disarmed.
A United Airlines flight attendant carried out the pertinent inspection and verified that the handle was indeed not completely blocked. On the other hand, an emergency slide activation lever was also not in the proper position.
The assistant, after finishing securing the aircraft door, went back to the cabin to inform the captain.
When the rest of the attendees got involved in the conversation, one revealed having seen Torres Severo near the door. For this reason, a flight attendant went directly to the suspect and questioned him about it. The passenger, in an apparently aggressive attitude, asked if there was evidence to prove his actions.
Not being able to dialogue in a civilized manner, the flight attendant went to the cabin to report that Torres represented a dawn for the flight. Therefore, as part of the protocol required by this type of situation, the United Airlines captain had to land as soon as possible.
The detainee used a broken spoon to attack the United Airlines assistant
The problem is that, almost at the same time that this conversation between the crew members was taking place, Torres left his seat and went towards two stewardesses. Using a broken spoon, the passenger attacked one of them, hitting her up to three times in the neck..
Fortunately, the United Airlines crew, along with a group of passengers, reacted in a timely manner and attacked Torres until he was subdued. Hardly landing, the Boston police arrested him.
Witnesses affirm that, before the attack, the defendant was seen in the kitchen, surely to look for an object that would allow him to carry out the attack. Others say Torres asked his traveling companion where the door handle was shown on the plane’s security card.
According to the detainee’s first statements, he attacked the United Airlines assistant in self-defense, because he thought they wanted to kill him. Regarding the spoon, he confessed to having broken it in the bathroom to turn it into a weapon.
Of course, a thorough investigation of the case will be launched. Due to the seriousness of the acts, Torres could even face a life sentence.. “The details contained in the documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” Massachusetts authorities said. Torres’ hearing is scheduled for March 9.
