A Florida man was arrested this week after he was disruptive on a Frontier flight to Chicago, causing the plane to make an emergency landing at Miami International Airport, according to authorities.
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Frontier Airlines officials said that flight 3345 from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Chicago O’Hare International Airport was diverted to MIA on Sunday due to a disruptive passenger, who was later identified as 51-year-old Juan Gabriel Reyes of Pahokee, Florida.
According to an arrest report, Reyes had attempted to open the emergency doors of the airplane while the plane was still in flight, saying that he wanted to leave the aircraft and ignoring the flight attendants’ commands to return to his seat.
Reyes continued to be disruptive throughout the flight, including trying to enter the pilots’ quarters, attempting to urinate on the bathroom floor, and grabbing another passenger’s bag, the report said.
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An off-duty Frontier flight attendant then offered to sit in Reyes’ row, the report said. At some point, Reyes grabbed his head and began choking him, which caused several passengers to intervene and try to pull Reyes off him.
Cellphone video shows the moments several passengers restraining Reyes.
The flight was eventually diverted to MIA and landed safely at around 11:55 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Cellphone video also showed deputies removing Reyes from the plane. Airline officials said the flight continued to Chicago a few hours later.
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Reyes was charged with battery and remains in Miami-Dade jail on a $20,000 bond.