Latest news with #FranciscoSeveroTorres
News.com.au
15-05-2025
- News.com.au
Shocking moment passenger tries to stab flight attendant and open emergency exit
This is the terrifying moment a crazed passenger tried to stab a flight attendant and open the emergency exit while mid-flight. Shocking footage shows Francisco Severo Torres, 34, threatening fellow passengers on a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston in March 2023. About 45 minutes into the journey, a flight attendant reportedly raised the alarm after noticing shady behaviour near one of the plane's emergency exits. Torres was confronted by the flight attendant and asked if he had tampered with the door. That was when he got out of his seat and marched back over to the door. Shocking footage taken by a fellow passenger shows Torres shouting that he was 'taking over this plane' and that he would 'kill every man on this plane'. The crazed passenger then lunges at a flight attendant, trying to stab them with a broken metal spoon. Torres beat the flight attended three times around the neck, according to federal prosecutors. Passengers then tackled Torres and he was restrained with the assistance of flight crew. Once the plane landed at Logan Airport the man was detained. Torres later told police he had wanted to open the door to jump out of the plane – and said he knew many people would die if he did, according to charging documents. Torres has pleaded guilty to the attack, admitting to one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew using a dangerous weapon, according to the office of Massachusetts US Attorney Leah Foley. This comes after a passenger was tackled by fellow flyers after attempting to pull the plane's emergency exit lever while at 35,000 feet. The Plus Ultra flight 701 was heading from Madrid, Spain, to Caracas, Venezuela on 28 February when the incident took place. The Airbus A330 was about halfway through its journey, flying high over the Atlantic Ocean when the man became 'restless'. A Plus Ultra spokesman said: 'A passenger began to feel restless, annoying the person in the next seat with shouts and slapping him while he was asleep. 'The crew acted quickly, calming the situation between the two and relocating the passenger to another seat where he could not disturb anyone. 'Moments later, this individual suddenly went to one of the doors of the plane trying to manipulate it. 'Immediately, our cabin crew subdued the passenger and, following the action protocol, secured him in the back of the plane until he reached the destination. 'At all times he was accompanied by two people from the crew, lying on the ground and attended to avoid any possible altercation.' The passenger was reportedly detained after the plane landed in Caracas. It is unclear exactly what prompted the man to try to open the plane door. It is nearly impossible to open modern plane doors after they have reached around 10,000 feet. This is because the difference between the internal cabin pressure and the outside air pressure effectively seals the doors. Some aircraft have a special flight lock feature that mechanically closes the door after the aircraft reaches a certain speed.
Scottish Sun
14-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Shocking moment ‘half-devil' passenger tries to stab flight attendant & open emergency exit in horror midair attack
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THIS is the terrifying moment a crazed passenger tried to stab a flight attendant and open the emergency exit while mid-flight. Francisco Severo Torres, 34, has pleaded guilty to the horror attack in March 2023. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Francisco Severo Torres, 34, has pleaded guilty to the mid-air attack Credit: AP 4 The crazed passenger was filmed threatening fellow flyers Credit: Lisa Olsen /10WJAR 4 He was filmed trying to stab a flight attendant with a metal spoon Credit: Lisa Olsen /10WJAR The dramatic turn of events took place aboard a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston. About 45 minutes into the journey, a flight attendant reportedly raised the alarm after noticing shady behaviour near one of the plane's emergency exits. Torres was confronted by the flight attendant and asked if he had tampered with the door. That was when he got out of his seat and marched back over to the door. read more on planes FROZEN IN TIME Inside abandoned airport where planes have been left to rot for 50 years Shocking footage taken by a fellow passenger shows Torres shouting that he was 'taking over this plane' and that he would 'kill every man on this plane.' The crazed passenger then lunges at a flight attendant, trying to stab them with a broken metal spoon. Torres beat the flight attended three times around the neck, according to federal prosecutors. Passengers then tackled Torres and he was restrained with the assistance of flight crew. Once the plane landed at Logan Airport the man was detained. Torres later told the cops that he had wanted to open the door to jump out of the plane - and said he knew many people would die if he did, according to charging documents. Bomb alert on Ryanair plane carrying 170 passengers as holiday flight lands in Belgium & 'cordon set up' Torres has pleaded guilty to the attack, admitting to one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew using a dangerous weapon, according to the office of Massachusetts US Attorney Leah Foley. This comes after a passenger was tackled by fellow flyers after attempting to pull the plane's emergency exit lever while at 35,000 feet. The Plus Ultra flight 701 was heading from Madrid, Spain, to Caracas , Venezuela on 28 February when the incident took place. The Airbus A330 was about halfway through its journey, flying high over the Atlantic Ocean when the man became "restless". A Plus Ultra spokesperson said: 'A passenger began to feel restless, annoying the person in the next seat with shouts and slapping him while he was asleep. 'The crew acted quickly, calming the situation between the two and relocating the passenger to another seat where he could not disturb anyone. 'Moments later, this individual suddenly went to one of the doors of the plane trying to manipulate it. 'Immediately, our cabin crew subdued the passenger and, following the action protocol, secured him in the back of the plane until he reached the destination. 'At all times he was accompanied by two people from the crew, lying on the ground and attended to avoid any possible altercation.' The passenger was reportedly detained after the plane landed in Caracas. It is unclear exactly what prompted the man to try to open the plane door. It is nearly impossible to open modern plane doors after they have reached around 10,000 feet. This is because the difference between the internal cabin pressure and the outside air pressure effectively seals the doors. Some aircraft have a special flight lock feature that mechanically closes the door after the aircraft reaches a certain speed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Massachusetts man pleads guilty after attempting to stab flight attendant on flight to Boston
BOSTON (WWLP) – A man who tried to stab a flight attendant and open a door mid-flight on a Boston-bound plane in 2023 has pleaded guilty. Wales man sentenced to prison for distributing fentanyl Francisco Severo Torres, 34, of Leominster, was arrested at Logan International Airport in Boston on March 6, 2023 after he allegedly tried to open an emergency exit door during a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston, and when confronted, allegedly tried to stab a flight attendant. Prosecutors say that about 45 minutes before landing, the flight crew was notified by an alarm in the cockpit that a side door between the first class and coach sections had been disarmed. A flight attendant found that the door's locking handle had been moved out of the fully locked position and into the 'disarmed' position and notified the captain and other flight crew. Another flight attendant said they saw Torres near the door and believed he had moved the door handle. Torres was approached about tampering with the door, and he allegedly asked if there were cameras proving their claim. According to court documents, the flight attendant then notified the captain that they believed Torres was a threat and that the plane should be landed as soon as possible. Witnesses say that Torres got out of his seat again and approached the two flight attendants who were standing near the door. Video taken by a passenger allegedly shows Torres yelling that he would 'kill every man on this plane' and 'I'm taking over this plane.' He then allegedly moved toward one of the flight attendants in a stabbing motion with a broken metal spoon, hitting the flight attendant on the neck area three times. Several passengers apprehended Torres and helped the crew keep him restrained until landing. Torres was taken into custody after the plane landed. The attendant was not injured. Torres pleaded guilty to one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17th. The charge of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon is a sentence of up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Mass. man pleads guilty to trying to stab flight attendant, open airplane door midflight in 2023
A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to attacking a flight attendant with a broken metal spoon after trying to open an airliner's emergency door on a Boston-bound flight in 2023. Francisco Severo Torres, 34, of Leominster, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement on Tuesday. U.S. District Court Judge Patti Saris scheduled sentencing for July 17. Torres was charged by criminal complaint in March 2023 following his arrest at Boston Logan International Airport. A federal grand jury subsequently indicted Torres in September 2023. On March 5, 2023, Torres was a passenger aboard a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston. The flight was just 45 minutes from landing at Logan Airport when the scary moments on board happened. The flight crew received an alarm in the cockpit that a starboard side door located between the first class and coach sections of the aircraft was disarmed. Video captured by Lisa Olsen, who was seated a couple of rows in front of Torres on the 2023 flight, showed Torres hurling threats before charging at a flight attendant with a broken metal spoon. Federal investigators said at the time that Torres struck her three times in the neck area. Olsen said at the time that Torres had somehow managed to break out of zip tie restraints. The cell phone video shows Torres yelling threats that he would 'kill every man on this plane' and 'I'm taking over this plane.' 'Tell them to bring SWAT because they're going to have to shoot me down today,' Torres is heard saying in the video. 'Where are they diverting us? Because wherever it is, there's going to be a bloodbath everywhere.' During those harrowing moments in the air, a flight attendant found that the door's locking handle had been moved out of the fully locked position – approximately a quarter of the way towards the towards the unlocked position – and that the emergency slide arming lever had been moved to the 'disarmed' position. The flight attendant reported this to the captain and flight crew after securing the door and emergency slide. Another flight attendant then reported that he had witnessed Torres near the door and believed Torres had tampered with the door. A flight attendant then confronted Torres about tampering with the door, to which he responded by asking if there were cameras showing that he had done so, prosecutors said. The flight attendant then notified the captain that they believed Torres posed a threat to the aircraft and that the captain needed to land the aircraft as soon as possible. A short time later, Torres got out of his seat and approached the starboard side door where two flight attendants were standing in the aisle, prosecutors said. One of the flight attendants saw Torres mouthing something that he could not hear. 'Torres then thrust towards one of the flight attendants in a stabbing motion with a broken metal spoon, hitting the flight attendant on the neck area three times,' Foley said in her statement. Passengers tackled Torres and he was restrained with the assistance of the flight crew. Torres was immediately taken into custody by state police upon the flight's arrival at Logan Airport. Passengers who were aboard the flight later reported that Torres asked a fellow passenger where on the safety card it showed where the door handle was located during the flight attendants' safety briefing prior to takeoff. They also reported seeing Torres pacing in a galley before attacking the flight attendant. Following his arrest in 2023, Torres was also accused of attacking two guards at the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island, where he was being held. According to court documents, Torres struck the officer in the face a few times. Torres faces a sentence of up to life in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
San Francisco Chronicle
13-05-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Massachusetts man pleads guilty to attacking a flight attendant with a broken spoon
BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty Tuesday to attacking a flight attendant with a broken metal spoon and attempting to open an airliner's emergency door on a cross-country flight. Francisco Severo Torres, of Leominster, pleaded guilty to one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon in the March 2023 disturbance on United Airlines Flight 2609 from Los Angeles to Boston. According to prosecutor and witness accounts, Torres went on a midair rant and tried to stab a crew member with a modified metal spoon. The plane was about 45 minutes from Boston when the crew received an alarm that a side door on the aircraft was disarmed, according to court documents. One flight attendant noticed the door's locking handle had been moved. Another saw Torres near the door and believed he had moved the handle. Cabin pressure during flight prevents airplane doors from opening. Torres started loudly rambling that his father was Dracula, that he wanted to be shot so he could be reincarnated and that he would kill everyone on board, another passenger said. He punched a male flight attendant, who felt the metal spoon in Torres' hand hit him on his shirt collar and tie three times, according to court documents. No one was injured. Torres was eventually subdued and restrained by other passengers. He was arrested when the flight landed at Boston Logan International Airport, authorities said. Torres could be sentenced up to life in prison. Torres has spent time in mental health facilities, according to court records. The police chief in his hometown said officers have dealt with him several times since 2014, mostly over family issues and mental health episodes. During one court appearance after his arrest, a federal judge ruled that Torres was not competent to stand trial and that he needed additional treatment. Magistrate Judge Judith Dein based her decision on a mental health evaluation of Torres and her own observations.
