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A man is facing federal charges after allegedly choking a Frontier Airlines flight attendant and screaming that a San Francisco-bound plane was “going down” before threatening to kill all the passengers on board.
Charles Angel Salva, 30, of Fremont, California, was charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants, the Justice Department said last week.
Salva was arrested Wednesday for the Sept. 9 incident on a Frontier flight from John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana that was headed to San Francisco International Airport.
Shortly after takeoff, Salva allegedly got his hand stuck in an overhead compartment while trying to pull down an oxygen mask.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office of Central District of California said he then reportedly hurled obscenities at flight attendants and yelled, “We are all going to hell,” and “This airplane is going down!”
“Salva then grabbed at fellow passengers and ran towards the rear of the airplane when flight attendants tried to restrain him,” the Justice Department said in a press release. “Salva allegedly then attempted to choke a flight attendant, leaving two small marks on the victim’s neck.”
He then allegedly “pushed another flight attendant and said he was going to kill everybody.”
Passengers on the flight helped restrain Salva, but he broke out of the handcuffs and had to be restrained again, the DOJ said. “During the incident, Salva kicked one flight attendant approximately six times in the leg, causing apparent bruising and swelling, which required medical attention,” officials added. The plane had to be diverted to Ontario International Airport because of the incident.
Salva now faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.