Flight diverted to Miami: man allegedly tries to open exit door, assault attendant

A Frontier Airlines flight headed to Chicago O’Hare International Airport from San Juan, Puerto Rico, was suddenly diverted to Miami on Sunday after a Florida man tried to open an exit door mid-flight.

Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office documents state Juan Gabriel Reyes, 51, of Pahokee, attempted to open an exit door about 45 minutes into the flight because he wanted to leave the aircraft. After flight attendants stopped him, the arrest affidavit states he tried to enter the pilot’s cabin by “shoving his shoulder aggressively on the pilot’s door.”

As flight attendants escorted Reyes back to his seat, he asked to use the restroom, which they permitted.

Reyes attempted to urinate on the bathroom’s floor, prompting flight attendants to escort him to a different seat, where an off-duty Frontier Airlines flight attendant volunteered to sit in his row.

The off-duty attendant moved seats, set his bag on the floor and tried to use the bathroom himself, until another passenger alerted him that Reyes was grabbing his bag, the document says.

He confronted Reyes and was put in a chokehold soon after.

Frontier Airlines did not immediately respond to a reporter’s request for comment.

A viral social media video taken by a passenger shows chaos erupting as passengers and flight attendants tried to restrain Reyes and pry him off the volunteer flight attendant.

Court documents state Reyes was restrained with flex cuffs and seatbelt extenders, but broke free multiple times.

Among passengers involved was Josh Longood, a former professional MMA fighter, who posted the events on his Instagram story, stating: “You board a flight from Puerto Rico to Chicago and end up having to restrain and tie up a guy who attacked a flight attendant.”

“Luckily I’m a light sleeper and was only a row away when everything went down ... hopefully my next flight is significantly more boring,” he added to the post, which featured a photo of him smiling with a thumbs up as Reyes is restrained behind him.

The flight successfully landed in Miami, where Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies took Reyes into custody. Officials later turned Reyes over to FBI agents for federal charging, documents state.

Reyes could face charges of interference with flight crew and assault within maritime and territorial jurisdiction, court records show.