Man Threatens Flight Attendant, Attempts To Open Emergency Exit On US Flight
As the situation escalated, the pilots landed the SkyWest Flight 612, carrying 67 passengers and four crew members, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After the safe landing, the suspect was captured on video being escorted off the plane by police.
The Cedar Rapids Police Department identified the arrested passenger as Mario Nikprelaj. He remains in custody in Linn County on a federal hold, online jail records show. He is scheduled to make his first appearance on the complaint next week at the Cedar Rapids federal court, according to a report in The New York Times.
Jonathan Spencer Van der Waarden, a passenger on the flight, said Nikprelaj had exhibited erratic behaviour from the start of the journey. He unfastened his seatbelt and stood up during takeoff. Then, during drink service, Nikprelaj made a lunge for the emergency exit.
Apart from assault and disorderly conduct, Nikprelaj has been charged with harassment and unlawful possession of prescription medication. He failed to affix a proper tax stamp on 41 pills of Alprazolam -- an anti-anxiety drug commonly sold as Xanax, which was found on him at the time of arrest. The authorities added that he could be charged with additional charges as well.
SkyWest Airlines confirmed in a statement that the flight had been diverted "due to an unruly customer" and that the plane later continued to Detroit after that person was detained.
"SkyWest has zero tolerance for unruly behaviour as safety for our customers and crew is our top priority," the airline said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said a probe had been initiated with Nikprelaj's background being checked.
"The FBI takes threats to aviation seriously and we work with our partners to address crimes occurring on commercial aircraft that endanger the safety of passengers, flight crews, and flight attendants," the FBI said in a statement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
4 hours ago
- India Today
US woman offers 7-month-old daughter for sex to stranger, charged with trafficking
A mother of seven in Indiana was arrested after she allegedly told a man to molest her seven-month-old daughter in exchange for $400 (approximately Rs 33,000). Morgan Stapp, in a purported message to the man sought half of the amount in advance. The 32-year-old also allegedly asked the man if he was interested in her nude woman was charged with child sex trafficking for asking the man to molest her infant woman allegedly used the social media app Snapchat to try and facilitate a sexual assault on her daughter, according to a New York City-based news outlet, People. According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by People, the mother of seven sent the purported message to the man on November 1, 2024, suggesting he could assault the child."Half now rest after I'll send my address I do live alone, and her dad is not in the picture," the alleged message read, the news outlet flagged the message to authorities and 10 days later FBI agents met with Stapp at her home in Indianapolis, according to the affidavit, People 32-year-old woman reportedly told agents that she did not have access to her Snapchat account and denied sending the message in one phone had access to the account, according to the YOU BE INTERESTED IN MY NUDES, ASKED INDIANA WOMANDetective Kristen Hartman of the Metropolitan Police Department of Indianapolis found over 7,000 messages had been sent between October 29 and November 1, the affidavit read, including 81 that said: "Would you be interested in buying my nudes so I can get baby diapers?" according to the to the affidavit, the search also uncovered multiple images of Stapp that were taken after she claimed to FBI agents that she had lost access to her court docket shows that Stapp was booked into custody on July 8 and is being charged with child sex trafficking (attempt to commit), a level 2 felony, according to the Indiana law, a Level 2 felony conviction carries a mandatory prison sentence ranging from 10 to 30 in court last week, Stapp said that she is a stay-at-home mother and receives government aid, and help from her parents, The UK's Daily Mail added that she is unemployed but does some deliveries to earn extra bond was initially set at $200,000 surety but was later reduced to $100,000. She was also issued a no-contact order involving two of her woman was arrested on July 8 and is still in Marion County Jail, and a pre-trial hearing is scheduled for September 15.- Ends
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Russia BLASTS Obama After Trump Endorses Gabbard's Election Fraud Claims; Warns Against Deep State
New evidence exposes former President Barack Obama and his administration in the orchestration of the "Russia hoax" to mislead the American public and sabotage Donald Trump's 2016 election victory. Kirill Dmitriev, Russian Special Presidential Representative, blasts the deep state's silence as more than 100 documents are declassified, revealing the role of intelligence officials including James Clapper, John Brennan, James Comey, and Susan Rice. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard describes the scandal as a 'years-long coup' and plans to submit a criminal referral to the DOJ and FBI. This video breaks down the full story behind the Russiagate scandal and Russia's position on the allegations. Watch.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Obama in CUFFS? Trump's Oval Office ARREST Clip BREAKS the Internet
/ Jul 21, 2025, 04:55PM IST Donald Trump has posted a wild AI-generated video showing Barack Obama getting arrested by FBI agents inside the Oval Office — and the internet is losing it. The deepfake video ends with Obama behind bars in an orange jumpsuit, as Trump smiles on. While the video is clearly fictional, critics are calling it 'irresponsible' political propaganda. What's Trump trying to say — and is there more to this post than meets the eye? Watch to find out.
