Frontier passenger chokes off-duty flight attendant after trying to open exit door, cockpit: Police
ABC7 Los Angeles • • business
Key Points:
- A Frontier Airlines flight from San Juan to Chicago was diverted to Miami after passenger Juan Gabriel Reyes tried to open an emergency exit and enter the cockpit, subsequently choking an off-duty flight attendant.
- Reyes, 51, was charged with interference with flight crew and assault within maritime and territorial jurisdiction; he has been appointed a federal public defender and has not yet entered a plea.
- Passengers and flight attendants restrained Reyes multiple times during the incident, with assistance from a Jiu-Jitsu instructor on board who helped keep the situation under control.
- The FAA has reported 687 unruly passenger incidents this year, reflecting a growing trend of disruptive behavior on flights and an increased legal response to such events.
- After Reyes was taken into custody by Miami-Dade authorities and the FBI, the flight continued to Chicago a few hours later.