Unruly Passenger Causes Emergency Landing After Kissing, Punching Flight Attendant

Unruly passenger Daniela Velez-Reyes caused a major delay for fellow passengers on Monday after she reportedly became violent mid-flight. According to witnesses, the woman got into an altercation with...
Unruly Passenger Causes Emergency Landing After Kissing, Punching Flight Attendant
Written by Amanda Crum

Unruly passenger Daniela Velez-Reyes caused a major delay for fellow passengers on Monday after she reportedly became violent mid-flight.

According to witnesses, the woman got into an altercation with another passenger and was asked to come to the back of the plane to settle down by a flight attendant. Once there, they say, Velez-Reyes allegedly forcibly kissed and then punched the attendant, causing an emergency landing in Indianapolis. The flight was originally scheduled from Miami to Chicago, and FBI personnel came aboard to investigate.

“No one knew anything until we landed and when we landed, they said authorities would be boarding plane and we needed to stay in our seats. They went to back of plane where they were holding the passenger and you could hear her yelling expletives and being obnoxious,” said witness Jim Saviano. I went to the back of the plane once they allowed us to get up and the flight attendant was icing her face and I asked her what happened. She said that the passenger was being obnoxious and had hit another passenger, and she asked her to come to the back of the plane so that she could talk with her, and while she was talking with her, the woman grabbed the flight attendant by the face, she kissed her and then she punched her in the face.”

13 WTHR Indianapolis

According to local news source WTHR, the flight was delayed for about an hour and a half while authorities investigated and eventually arrested Valez-Reyes. She faces several charges–including battery with injury to a person, battery with no injury to a person, battery with injury to a safety officer, criminal recklessness and disruption of a flight–but it’s not clear what caused the chaos.

Get the WebProNews newsletter delivered to your inbox

Get the free daily newsletter read by decision makers

Subscribe
Advertise with Us

Ready to get started?

Get our media kit