⏱ 2 min read
Julio Alvarez Lopez, a man with legal permanent resident status in the US, stabbed a fellow passenger on a flight from Seattle to Las Vegas on January 24, 2024. The attack, which occurred mid-flight, left the victim with injuries to the body and eye area, requiring stitches. Lopez used a homemade weapon, consisting of three pens bound together with hair bands, to carry out the assault. He claimed the victim had been looking at him in a harassing way, prompting the attack.
After stopping the assault, Lopez walked towards the front of the aircraft, where he was restrained by other passengers until the flight landed at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. He was taken into custody by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and later admitted to the crime, stating he had attempted to murder the victim by shoving the homemade weapon into the victim’s brain.
Lopez pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 22, 2026. The FBI, Federal Air Marshal Service, and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Brenna Bush prosecuting.
📋 Key Facts
- Crime: Violent Crime
- Defendant: Nevada
- Location: NV
- Source: DOJ Press Release
