Spoon-Wielding Passenger Torres Gets Time Served for In-Flight Attack

BOSTON – A chaotic scene unfolded aboard a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston in March 2023 when passenger Francisco Severo Torres, 35, of Leominster, Massachusetts, allegedly attempted to open an emergency exit door mid-flight and then viciously attacked a flight attendant with a broken metal spoon. Today, Torres received a sentence of time served – roughly 26 months – followed by five years of supervised release, and a permanent ban from commercial air travel.

The incident, detailed in court documents, began approximately 45 minutes before landing at Boston Logan International Airport. Flight crew received an alarm indicating tampering with the starboard side emergency exit door, located between first class and coach. A flight attendant discovered the door’s locking handle partially disarmed and the emergency slide lever moved to the “disarmed” position. Another flight attendant quickly identified Torres as a potential suspect, having observed him near the door.

When confronted, Torres brazenly inquired about the existence of camera footage proving his involvement. This prompted the flight crew to alert the captain, who immediately prioritized landing the aircraft. But Torres wasn’t finished. He leaped from his seat and charged toward the emergency door, where two flight attendants were stationed. Witnesses reported hearing Torres yell threats, including “I’ll kill every man on this plane” and “I’m taking over this plane.”

The situation escalated into a violent assault. Torres lunged at a flight attendant, stabbing them three times in the neck area with a sharpened fragment of a metal spoon. Passengers, along with assisting flight crew, quickly intervened, tackling and restraining Torres until the plane landed safely. Authorities immediately took Torres into custody upon arrival at Logan Airport. Prior to the attack, passengers reported seeing Torres inquiring about the location of the door handle on the safety card and pacing nervously in the galley.

Torres pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon. He was initially charged by criminal complaint in March 2023 and later indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2023. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Criminal Division.

“This was a terrifying ordeal for the flight crew and passengers,” stated United States Attorney Leah B. Foley, alongside Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox, in a joint statement. The sentence reflects the seriousness of Torres’s actions and aims to ensure the safety of air travelers. The five-year supervised release and permanent flight ban are intended to prevent future incidents.”