Earlier today, Francisco Severo Torres, a 33-year-old from Leominster, Massachusetts, was indicted by a federal grand jury for attempting to open an airplane door mid-flight and allegedly assaulting a flight attendant in the process. According to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Torres faces charges of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon.
The indictment takes us back to March 5, 2023, when Torres was onboard a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston. The tranquility of the journey was shattered when – some 45 minutes before landing – a starboard side door alarm sounded in the cockpit. Upon further inspection, it was found that the door's locking handle had been moved out of its fully locked position, and the emergency slide arming lever disarmed. Another flight attendant reported having seen Torres tampering with the door before the incident.
When confronted by the flight attendant, Torres evaded the question, asking instead if there were cameras present to record his actions. The flight attendant then informed the captain of Torres' perceived threat, urging an immediate landing. Not long after, Torres would allegedly launch into a violent outburst, threatening to "kill every man on this plane" and take control of the aircraft, per video footage captured by passengers and reports from the DOJ.
Armed with a broken metal spoon, Torres is said to have attempted to stab a flight attendant in the neck. At this moment, passengers onboard intervened, tackling Torres and restraining him with the assistance of the flight crew. Upon landing, Torres was immediately taken into custody.
Investigators later found evidence to suggest that Torres had been planning his actions even before takeoff. Passengers reported that he had asked about the door handle during the safety briefing and had paced the galley nervously before launching his attack.
