Federal authorities have charged a man for allegedly assaulting a flight attendant and trying to escape a Frontier Airlines plane headed to Chicago earlier this week.
Juan Gabriel Reyes, 51, from Chicago, faces charges of interfering with a flight crew and assault within maritime jurisdiction, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
The incident occurred on Frontier Airlines Flight 3345, which was flying from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Chicago, Illinois. Around 45 minutes after takeoff, Reyes reportedly became disruptive, prompting the pilot to divert the flight to Miami.
Authorities claim that during the flight, Reyes attempted to open two exit doors mid-air and assaulted another passenger. A flight attendant shared that she overheard Reyes expressing a desire to leave the plane.
Witnesses reported that Reyes lunged at a nearby off-duty flight attendant, choking her. He was reportedly held down by another passenger and an additional flight attendant using a flex cuff and a seatbelt extender.
Despite initial restraint, Reyes managed to escape from custody multiple times until he was finally subdued by passengers. This whole scenario—well, it sounds chaotic, right?
One passenger, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu fighter Josh Longude, described the situation, saying, “I just grabbed him and restrained him as safely as I could.” He mentioned it felt like holding down a child having a tantrum.
The flight successfully landed in Miami on May 31, around 11:55 PM local time, after the crew reported the disturbance. Reyes was later taken to the Miami-Dade Correctional Center, where he faced assault charges.
If found guilty, Reyes could face up to 20 years for the obstruction charge and a year for the assault. It’s a serious situation, definitely raises questions about flight safety.
Authorities have reached out for comments from Frontier Airlines, the FBI’s Miami office, and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
