I love vacations and traveling, but getting there is becoming increasingly arduous. Whether it is the price of flights, the long security lines, or people like this man, it all starts to add up. The pilot and flight crew were trying to do their jobs. Additionally, these passengers were simply trying to reach their destination. Unfortunately, this man had other plans as he began threatening both the pilot and the flight crew. He was later arrested for his actions.
Man Arrested After Threatening Pilot And Flight Attendants
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People Magazine shared that Luis A. Vaquero was escorted off this flight by law enforcement after his abhorrent actions. There was no stone left unturned as he hurled insults at the pilot, flight crew, and passengers alike. A press release from the United States Attorney's Office detailed the events of the interaction. That press release shared that his antics began shortly after takeoff. During that time, he made "threats of physical violence toward a disabled minor" and proceeded to mock "a group of Jewish passengers."
From there, he got agitated with a flight attendant who refused to serve him alcohol due to his behavior. Vaquero then threatened her as well by saying, "You better watch out, sh*'s going to happen to you." Once the plane landed in Newark Liberty International Airport, law enforcement was alerted to Vaquero's undesirable behavior. Apparently, he didn't like that, so he demanded to see the pilot. When a flight attendant tried to intervene with his plans to approach the cockpit, he threatened them. He said, "I will break your f*ing jaw," and then hurled racial slurs at them.
A Bad Situation Turns Worse
Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reily shared details on what happened next. In the press release, he shared that after threatening the flight attendant and passengers, things escalated even further. Vaquero then began threatening the pilot. "It all culminated in a terrifying attack and attempted breach of the flight deck when witnesses say he banged on the cockpit door and confronted the pilot," the special agent shared.
Unfortunately, this is not the first incident of this kind. People are becoming aggressive on flights more frequently. Just the other day, a pilot initiated an emergency landing after hearing knocking on the cockpit door. While that instance turned out to be a false alarm, I can now understand his abundance of caution. Once the plane landed, law enforcement arrived and removed the aggressor from the scene. Mr. Vaquero will now be facing justice for his actions.
For those who think being rowdy on a flight is no big deal, the facts may surprise you. "The charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000."
