Teen's 'joke' about his manhood forced Spirit plane to race to deserted corner of airport over bomb fears
The teen, who Daily Mail is not naming, made a gag about having a 'bomb in his pocket' while sat on the flight 1332 preparing to take off from Fort Lauderdale Airport for Kansas City on Monday afternoon.
His mother told the Miami Herald the remark was just the boy's attempt at a joke about his 'masculinity.'
But other passengers and flight attendants feared he posed a security threat.
The packed Airbus was ordered to a quiet area of the airport in case it was on the verge of blowing up.
Broward County Sheriff's Office deputies were seen boarding the plane and hauling the boy off, who was wearing a dainty white shell necklace.
Once it was established there was no bomb, passengers were forced to deplane before the flight finally departed late for Missouri.
He was charged with criminal mischief over $1,000 and making a false report of a bomb/explosive, according to authorities.
The teen appeared before a court wearing a tank top Tuesday, with his father beaming in via a construction site over video link to plead for leniency.
Spirit Airlines said in a statement that law enforcement was requested to meet the plane before departure due to a potential security issue.
'The aircraft taxied to a remote location, and Guests were safely deplaned. The plane was inspected and cleared by law enforcement,' the statement continued.
The teen was vacationing in Florida with friends and was heading home to Missouri when the arrest occurred.
He was held in a juvenile detention center and appeared in court on Tuesday. His father, Phillip Schmidt, appeared virtually to defend his son, according to footage shared by local NBC affiliate, WTVJ.
'I would just like to ask for grace in this matter,' Schmidt told the court.
'I don't believe he acted criminally. He was acting as an immature 16-year-old in my opinion.'
The boy's attorney stated in court that he said he 'had a bomb in his pocket,' but noted that authorities didn't specify where and when the teen made the claim.
Judge Stacy Ross said that Spirit was estimating a loss of $50,000.
The boy's mother told the Miami Herald that the teen is 'a good kid' and was just talking in slang with his friends when a woman sitting nearby overheard the comment.
The mother told the outlet that he was held in juvenile custody until Tuesday afternoon.
Authorities haven't released the teenager's name, and it's unclear whether he's being charged as an adult.
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