A man has been arrested on suspicion of screaming antisemitic and racist abuse on a recent flight from Miami to Newark Liberty International Airport before threatening flight attendants and punching the flight deck door while cursing out the Captain.
The recent occurred on February 9 when Luis Vaquero from New Jersey started to argue with other passengers and flight attendants during the three-hour flight from Florida.
According to an affidavit filed in a New Jersey district court earlier this week, Vaquero started to make a scene when he randomly started to threaten violence against a disabled child and then mocked a group of Jewish passengers.
Having witnessed Vaquero’s aggressive and disruptive behavior, one of the flight attendants cut him off from any more alcoholic beverages, but in response, he threatened her: “You better watch out, s**t’s going to happen to you.”
The flight attendant was so concerned about Vaquero’s behavior that she avoided him for the rest of flight, although the flight crew made arrangements for law enforcement to meet the aircraft on arrival.
Shortly after landing, the Captain announced to the passengers that once the plane reached the gate, they should remain seated as the police would be boarding the aircraft. Vaquero disregarded this instruction and got up from his seat while the plane was still taxiing and stormed to the front of the plane.
According to an FBI investigator, Vaquero started to bang on the cockpit door, cursing out the Captain and demanding he exit the cockpit. During this time, he threatened to break the jaw of one of the flight attendants while yelling racist and sexist abuse.
Once parked at the gate, the Captain did, in fact, exit the cockpit. Vaquero immediately got in the pilot’s face, shouting abuse and threatening him, according to the criminal complaint.
Law enforcement arrived a short time later, and Vaquero was taken into custody, where he was charged with interference with crew members. Vaquero was held on a bond of $100,000.
The maximum penalty for interfering with a pilot or flight attendant is 20 years imprisonment plus a fine of up to $200,000. In most cases, perpetrators who are found guilty of this crime are sentenced to only a short spell in jail or even just a small fine.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) does, however, also have the power to fine unruly passengers with a civil penalty of up to $35,000 per violation of aviation safety laws.
The FBI did not disclose the airline on which the incident took place, and several major carriers operate scheduled flights between Miami and Newark, including American Airlines, Spirit, and United Airlines.
The penalty should make it hurt instead of a slap on the wrist.
EXACTLY – or it will happen again. Put him on a no-fly list too.
Guy will be given a written warning and let go. More activity like this will happen because neither feds or the airlines go after these people as they should.