An Illinois man, Juan Gabriel Reyes, 51, is facing serious federal charges after a disruptive incident on a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Chicago. The flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Miami, Florida, after Reyes allegedly attempted to breach the cockpit and open an emergency exit mid-flight.

Incident Details

According to federal court records, Reyes became highly disruptive during the flight. Despite repeated instructions from flight attendants to calm down and comply with directions, he refused. The situation escalated when Reyes allegedly rushed toward the front of the cabin, attempting to open both the flight deck door and one of the aircraft’s emergency exit doors.

When another passenger intervened, Reyes reportedly assaulted them. A group of passengers and crew members managed to restrain Reyes until the plane could safely divert to Miami International Airport.

Legal Proceedings

Reyes has been charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants, as well as assault within maritime and territorial jurisdiction. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the crew interference charge and an additional year for the assault charge.

The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI’s Miami Field Office. The FBI’s Miami Field Office is leading the investigation, with assistance from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Olinghouse is prosecuting the case.

Original reporting: Tampa Free Press — read the source article.