Man accused of trying to open exit door on LA flight arrested

A man accused of trying to open an emergency exit door on a flight from Los Angeles to Boston, then allegedly trying to stab a flight attendant with a broken spoon handle, remained behind bars Monday in Massachusetts.

Francisco Severo Torres, 33, of Massachusetts, was arrested Sunday night when the United Airlines flight landed at Boston’s Logan International Airport, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said that about 45 minutes before the aircraft was scheduled to land, the flight crew received a cockpit alarm that a side door of the plane between the first class and coach sections had been tampered with. According to prosecutors, the door’s locking handle had been moved out of the fully locked position and about one-quarter of the way to the unlocked position.

A flight attendant who had seen Torres near the door earlier confronted him, but Torres “allegedly responded by asking if there were cameras showing that he had done so,” prosecutors said.

A short time later, Torres allegedly got out of his seat and approached two flight attendants and made repeated stabbing motions with a broken metal spoon, hitting one of the attendants three times in the neck area, prosecutors said.

Passengers tackled Torres, who was restrained with the help of the flight crew.

Torres was charged with interference and attempted interference with crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The charge carries a sentence of up to life in prison and a fine of $250,000. He appeared in court Monday and was ordered to remain in custody pending a Thursday hearing.

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