A Frontier Airlines flight en route from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Chicago-O’Hare International Airport was forced to divert to Miami International Airport after a passenger, Juan Gabriel Reyes, 51, caused a significant disturbance. According to police records, Reyes attempted to open an emergency exit door and later tried to enter the cockpit.

Incident Details

The disruption began approximately 45 minutes after takeoff when Reyes expressed a desire to exit the plane. He was prevented from opening the emergency door and subsequently approached the cockpit, aggressively pushing against the pilot’s door. A flight attendant intervened, allowing Reyes to use the restroom on his way back to his seat. However, Reyes attempted to urinate on the bathroom floor and was then moved to a different seat.

An off-duty flight attendant volunteered to sit near Reyes. When the off-duty attendant went to use the restroom, Reyes tried to take his bag, leading to a confrontation where Reyes allegedly choked the attendant. Several passengers and on-duty flight attendants worked together to restrain Reyes using flex cuffs and seatbelt extenders, though he managed to break free multiple times.

Flight Diversion and Legal Consequences

The flight was diverted to Miami, landing around 11:55 p.m. local time. Reyes was taken into custody by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and handed over to the FBI for questioning. He faces charges of interference with flight crew members and assault within maritime and territorial jurisdiction.

Frontier Airlines confirmed that the flight continued to Chicago a few hours later. This incident is part of a larger trend, as the Federal Aviation Administration has received 687 reports of unruly passengers this year. A similar incident occurred recently when a United Airlines flight was diverted after a passenger attempted to breach the cockpit.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.