There's More to The Story of The Plane Passenger Who Swallowed Rosary Beads Amidst Chaotic Fit
Delange Augustin, 31, was arrested following the scene that unfolded on March 10. He and his sister were onboard a flight from Savannah, Ga. to Miami when suddenly he appeared to have a 'fit of epilepsy,' according to The Independent. Following that, crew members and fellow flight passengers recalled Augustin stomping, shaking and yelling before getting physical with the folks surrounding him.
He punched, kicked and grabbed a woman's hair so tight, it had to be cut in order for her to be loose from his grip, witnesses told CBS. Once he was on the ground, witnesses said he swallowed a set of rosary beads. His sister, Medjina, originally told officers the two were traveling back home from Haiti to flee 'religious attacks' when her brother got paranoid that one of 'Satan's disciples' followed them onto the plane, the report says.
However, in an article posted to Haitian news outlet Le Nouvelliste, she said there was more to the story. Medjina said the two still struggle with the murder of their parents which occurred in the Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. She said their father killed before Augustin was born and their mother was killed on her way home from work just back in 2023.
She also added that Augustin went to Haiti to renew his J-1 visa before heading back to the U.S. to complete his radiology training. According to Medjina, the stress of her brother's studies and worry about his visa combined with these 'spiritual attacks' drove Augustin to what she called his very first mental health crisis.
'What was clearly a medical emergency was tragically mishandled,' Medjina wrote.
Medjina added that after he was bailed out of jail following the incident, the siblings tried once again to return to Haiti. However, after prosecutors succeeded in convincing the court to place him back in custody, FBI agent Savannah Solomon alerted Medjina his bond was denied, per WTOC. He was then arrested again at this flight leaving Atlanta. He's being held in custody at Coffee County Jail.
That's not all. The report says his visa also expired, putting him at risk of an ICE hold. He currently faces federal charges of interference with flight crew as well as state charges of battery, obstruction and criminal damage to property.
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Miami Herald
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Miami Herald
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