Man Accused Of Mid-Air Outburst Admitted 'Many People Would Die': Docs

BOSTON, MA — The Leominster man who was arrested and charged Sunday after a mid-flight outburst where authorities say he attempted to stab a flight attendant and tried opening the emergency exit door said he knew many people would die if he succeeded in opening the door, according to charging documents obtained by Patch.

Francisco Severo Torres, 33, who claimed to be a biblical figure during the attempted attack, is set to appear in federal court Thursday afternoon and could face life in prison, according to 7News Boston.

Torres was charged with one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon after trying to carry out the stabbing with a broken metal spoon, officials said. He also managed to move the emergency exit door's handle out of the fully locked position, officials said.

According to the charging documents, Torres told officials in an interview at the airport barracks that he tried to stab the flight attendants because he believed she was trying to kill him, so he was trying to kill her first.

Torres also admitted to knowing that if he opened the door many people would die.

A video of Sunday's incident showed Torres yelling from his seat at passengers, proclaiming that he could withstand being shot. He also claimed to be the biblical figure Balthazar, and said "there's going to be a bloodbath" when the plane lands.

"I won't die when I take every bullet in that clip," Torres says in the video. "And then I will kill every man on this plane. So where are they? Where's Homeland Security? Pull the gun."

Simik Ghookasian, who was sitting several rows behind Torres and helped a handful of other passengers and attendants subdue him, recounted the scene to The Associated Press.

“I heard [Torres] getting louder and louder and I thought it was just an argument, but he started yelling and screaming and threatening people, threatening to kill them,” Ghookasian said. “That guy was really strong and was really resisting. We had a hard time holding him down. It was total teamwork.”

Ghookasian, who said he has first aid and counter-terrorism training, said he didn’t have time to be scared, he just reacted and used his instincts.

“Everything just exploded in a few seconds,” according to Ghookasian.

Torres was arrested after the plane landed safely at Logan International Airport, according to officials.

United Airlines told Patch that no serious injuries were reported.

"Thanks to the quick action of our crew and customers, one customer was restrained after becoming a security concern," United Airlines said in a statement. "We have zero tolerance for any type of violence on our flights, and this customer will be banned from flying on United pending an investigation. We are cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation."

Torres has a history of mental health struggles and has spent time in a few Massachusetts mental health facilities, Boston25 reported, citing federal court documents which reveal he sued two hospitals since March 2021. In one of the suits, he alleged medical malpractice for misdiagnosis and in the other he alleged his constitutional rights were violated because he was a vegan and was denied almond milk, according to Boston25.

He acted as his own attorney and both cases were dismissed, the outlet reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.