Massachusetts man pleads guilty to attacking a flight attendant with a broken spoon

BOSTON AP A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty Tuesday to attacking a flight attendant with a broken metal spoon and attempting to open an airliner s emergency door on a cross-country flight Francisco Severo Torres of Leominster pleaded guilty to one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon in the March disturbance on United Airlines Flight from Los Angeles to Boston According to prosecutor and witness accounts Torres went on a midair rant and tried to stab a crew member with a modified metal spoon The plane was about minutes from Boston when the crew received an alarm that a side door on the aircraft was disarmed according to court documents One flight attendant noticed the door s locking handle had been moved Another saw Torres near the door and concluded he had moved the handle Cabin pressure during flight prevents airplane doors from opening Torres started loudly rambling that his father was Dracula that he required to be shot so he could be reincarnated and that he would kill everyone on board another rider revealed He punched a male flight attendant who felt the metal spoon in Torres hand hit him on his shirt collar and tie three times according to court documents No one was injured Torres was eventually subdued and restrained by other passengers He was arrested when the flight landed at Boston Logan International Airport officers explained Torres could be sentenced up to life in prison A lawyer for Torres could not be reached for comment Torres has spent time in mental wellbeing facilities according to court records The police chief in his hometown explained officers have dealt with him several times since mostly over family issues and mental vitality episodes During one court appearance after his arrest a federal judge ruled that Torres was not competent to stand trial and that he needed additional recovery Magistrate Judge Judith Dein based her decision on a mental vitality evaluation of Torres and her own observations Source