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A person who allegedly stabbed one other passenger throughout a flight with a makeshift weapon made out of pens and rubber bands has been charged with assault with a harmful weapon.
Julio Alvares Lopez informed authorities he supposed to kill the sufferer in an incident on 24 January throughout an Alaska Airways flight from Seattle to Las Vegas, based on court docket paperwork.
The sufferer was recognized as a sworn legislation enforcement officer who was throughout the airplane aisle from Mr Lopez.
A witness mentioned that Mr Lopez started to behave “fidgety” through the flight. Round half-hour earlier than touchdown, Mr Lopez acquired up from his seat and went to the toilet, and upon return, he started punching and hitting the sufferer, the paperwork mentioned.
The witness and the sufferer’s spouse screamed at Mr Lopez to cease.
The witness mentioned, “There was blood in all places”, and claimed that Mr Lopez dropped one thing that seemed to be a “pen and tape bundle.”
The sufferer’s spouse was additionally struck through the altercation as she shielded her younger son who’s round seven years previous, the court docket data added.
He was restrained with flex cuffs for the rest of the flight and was taken into custody by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Division as soon as the airplane got here into land.
Talking to authorities after the incident, Mr Lopez, who acknowledged he was looking for asylum in the US, mentioned he felt the mafia had been chasing him for the previous couple of months, the court docket paperwork acknowledged.
Lopez mentioned to authorities that he had by no means seen the sufferer earlier than the flight however thought that the sufferer was following him, believing he was the cartel.
He admitted that he armed himself with pens wrapped in rubber bands and acknowledged, “I deliberate on attacking and killing him.”
He additionally admitted to FBI brokers that he supposed to kill the sufferer and had created the weapon earlier than the flight. Mr Lopez mentioned he was making an attempt to stab the sufferer within the eye to succeed in his mind, the court docket paperwork mentioned.
Alaska Airways mentioned in a press release to NBC7 that the incident occurred on flight 604 because the airplane was coming in to land at Harry Reid Worldwide Airport.
“The plane landed safely, and legislation enforcement took one passenger into custody after the airplane arrived on the gate. We’re grateful for our crew for his or her professionalism within the dealing with of the incident,” the airline mentioned.
The suspect is being held in custody till trial and his arraignment is scheduled for 1 March.
The Impartial has contacted Alaska Airways for remark.
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