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An Alaska Airlines passenger, identified as Julio Alvarez Lopez, allegedly planned and executed an attack on another passenger during a heated mid-flight argument from Seattle to Las Vegas on January 24, according to federal court records reported by the New York Post.
Lopez was arrested at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas and charged with “one count of assault with a dangerous weapon,” as per documents reviewed by 8 News Now, the NYP reported.
During the altercation, Lopez reportedly began assaulting a man seated across the aisle, attempting to stab him in the eye upon returning from a restroom. The victim’s wife, who was protecting their 7-year-old son, also became a target of the alleged attacker.
“During the altercation, [the victim’s] wife was screaming at the defendant to stop hitting her husband,” noted an FBI agent in the document. “[A witness] unbuckled her seatbelt and yelled at the defendant to stop,” as per the New York Post report.
Investigators discovered a makeshift weapon, consisting of a bundle of pens and rubber bands, used by Lopez during the assault. After the incident, Lopez shouted, “I’ll only talk to the FBI,” according to the report.
The report said that the witnesses described a scene of blood and mentioned that a “pen and tape bundle” had fallen on the floor, resulting in serious injuries to the male victim.
According to the NYP report, an onboard law enforcement official directed Lopez to sit down, and the crew members restrained him for the remainder of the flight using flex cuffs. Upon landing, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department apprehended Lopez at 8:30 AM.
Lopez later confessed that he planned the attack because he believed the mafia was pursuing him. He claimed unfamiliarity with the victim but expressed the intention to kill him. Lopez, seeking asylum in the United States, alleged that the victim was associated with “the Cartel” and was chasing him.
Following a federal grand jury conviction on assault charges, Lopez is scheduled to return to court on March 1, as reported by Fox News.
