An enraged passenger strangled and attacked a flight attendant in a chaotic mid-air meltdown after a weekend at Disneyland.
Charles Angel Salva, 30, of Fremont, has now been charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants following his actions, after appearing in court Thursday.
On Monday, Salva was aboard Frontier Airlines Flight 3581 from John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana bound for San Francisco International Airport before his breakdown.
Just after the plane took off and hovered below 10,000 feet, flight attendants noticed that oxygen masks in a row in the middle of the plane were outside the overhead bin.
Authorities said when they began investigating what was happening, they discovered Salva with his hand in the compartment and looking claustrophobic and distressed.
Charles Angel Salva has been charged with interfering with flight crew members and attendants following a crisis on Frontier Airlines Flight 3581
One passenger told investigators the man had pulled down oxygen masks from the overhead holding area before his hand became stuck.
He then began screaming in chilling fashion, “We’re all going to hell” and “This plane is going to crash,” according to court documents.
As Salva continued to wreak havoc, a flight attendant attempted to restrain him as he tried to grab other passengers, authorities said.
Salva then allegedly ran down the aisle toward the back of the plane before pulling a cord around a flight attendant’s neck while saying, “I’m going to strangle this bitch,” as he attempted to strangle her.
Prosecutors added that the enraged man also pushed another flight attendant “forcefully” and claimed he was going to kill everyone on the plane.
Brave passengers tried to restrain Salva as he kicked out, one of which hit the second flight attendant in the leg.
Due to the violent outburst, the flight was diverted to Ontario International Airport in California, where authorities boarded the plane and saw passengers immobilizing it.
Salva was detained at the airport and handcuffed with soft cuffs before being taken to a local hospital.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to the flight crew for their professionalism and to the other passengers who assisted during the incident, as well as to local and federal law enforcement and the United States Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, for their efforts to ensure justice,” Frontier said in a statement. Fox Digital News saying.
The assistant who was kicked in the leg was also treated in hospital for her injuries.
A passenger told officers that Salva had returned to San Francisco after spending a weekend at Disneyland with his three-year-old daughter.
But on Sunday, Salva left her son with the unnamed passenger and his family before disappearing, court documents revealed.
He allegedly admitted to taking ecstasy before boarding the plane and reportedly told police “I’m a child molester” and that he had abused his daughter multiple times before losing custody rights, Fox News reports.
Salva now faces up to 20 years in federal prison as the FBI and Ontario Police Department investigate the matter.
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