AVIATION

24 January 2024: En Route from Seattle to Las Vegas

A man allegedly attacked another passenger on a flight from Seattle to Las Vegas in January. He was arrested and now faces a federal criminal charge. Julio Lopez was taken into custody after the Alaska Airlines flight and is facing one count of assault with a dangerous weapon after investigators found a bundle of pens and rubber bands, according to court documents. The documents say Lopez tried to stab another passenger in the eye after he “began punching and hitting the victim.” Lopez is also accused of hitting the victim’s wife as she shielded her seven-year-old son during the attack. After the attack, Lopez allegedly screamed that he would “only talk to the FBI.” As he moved up the aisle of the aircraft, a law enforcement officer ordered him to sit down in an empty seat. The flight crew then “worked to provide flex cuffs and the defendant was restrained for the remainder of the flight,” per the docs. “The incident happened as the aircraft was on its descent for arrival in Las Vegas. The aircraft landed safely, and law enforcement took one passenger into custody after the plane arrived at the gate,” a company statement said. Lopez also told the FBI that “he intended to kill” the victim and that he “had created the weapon he used,” which authorities identified as the bundle of pens.