Man Planned To Kill, Stab Passenger On Alaska Airlines Flight To Las Vegas
A man allegedly attacked another passenger and tried to stab him with “a homemade weapon made of pens and rubber bands,” during an Alaska Airlines flight to Las Vegas, according to NBC San Diego.
The FBI accused a man and charged him with assault with a dangerous weapon after he allegedly attacked a passenger during a flight in January. According to NBC, this attack happened on Alaska Airlines Flight 604 on Jan. 24 right before the plane landed.
The suspect, who has been identified as Julio Alvarez Lopez, told authorities that he felt like the mafia was chasing him, according to NBC. The victim was also an off-duty law enforcement officer.
Before The Alaska Airlines Attack Occurred
Business Insider further reported that other passengers said Lopez looked fidgety. He avoided eye contact and did other odd body movements that seemed suspicious.
As the plane started its initial landing, Lopez went to the bathroom. After going to the bathroom, he attacked a person who was sitting across the aisle from him, Business Insider reports. He punched him and used a makeshift weapon that he created from a pen and rubber bands.
Lopez told officials that he, “was trying to stab CR (the victim) in the eye to reach his brain and kill him,” Business Insider reported. Along with that, the suspect said he thought the mafia was chasing him and he thought the victim was part of a cartel agency. Lopez also said he “had never seen the victim before the morning flight.
The flight crew restrained Lopez with flex cuffs. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department arrested him once the plane landed, according to ABC News.
ABC News investigated Lopez and the case a little further, which reveled that Lopez is not a citizen of the U.S., he is unemployed and “has no ties to Las Vegas.” He will be held in custody until his trial.
