(WASHINGTON) — A Texas man was arrested for allegedly assaulting a flight attendant and a passenger while on board an American Airlines flight earlier this month, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
At approximately 9:00 p.m. on March 5, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department contacted the FBI regarding a disturbance on American Airlines Flight 5574 traveling from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C. — the same flight path as the plane that collided with a Black Hawk helicopter on Jan. 29, killing 67 people.
The suspect, Asterius Mutayoba Rulamka, had allegedly left his assigned seat during the flight and walked to the rear of the plane, where he “engaged with a flight attendant,” according to an FBI affidavit obtained by ABC News.
Rulamka then sat down in the back of the plane and began to yell profanities at the flight attendant, with passengers taking videos of the incident on their cellphones, according to the affidavit.
Upon noticing one passenger filming, Rulamka allegedly started to attack him, grabbing his arms and verbally berating him, the affidavit said. The suspect also removed the passenger’s hat and glasses and struck him “in the face near his left eye, causing bruising and a bloodshot eye,” the FBI said.
The defendant allegedly attempted to swing at the flight attendant he previously assaulted, but the attendant was able to move out of the way before being struck, sustaining a “small laceration to his finger and a broken fingernail” in the process, the affidavit said.
Rulamka then began running up and down the aisles of the cabin, but three passengers and the flight attendants were able to secure the suspect for landing in a seat near his original seat, the affidavit said.
When the flight was arriving at Ronald Reagan National Airport, Rulamka allegedly made several statements, including that he “had come to D.C. to speak to President Trump,” the affidavit said.
Rulamka was asked why he wanted to meet with Trump, and he replied that he was “mad,” the affidavit said.
The FBI said Rulamka had a Texas driver’s license, but a criminal history check revealed that the Department of Homeland Security “encountered the defendant in 2014 as a non-immigrant overstay, and immigration proceedings are pending,” the affidavit said.
“On March 5, law enforcement responded to American Eagle Flight 5574 after its arrival in Washington, D.C. (DCA) due to a disruptive customer. We do not tolerate violence, and thank our team members for their professionalism,” American Airlines said in a statement to ABC News.
Rulamka has been charged with “assault by beating, striking and wounding, in violation of the Title 18 United States Code, Section 113(a)(4),” according to the affidavit. A hearing for Rulamka has been scheduled for March 13.
Attorney information was not immediately listed for Rulamka.
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