Josh Longood thought he was heading home to Chicago after celebrating his brother’s bachelor party in Puerto Rico. Instead, the former MMA fighter and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt found himself restraining a fellow passenger who allegedly tried to open an emergency exit door mid-flight, causing the plane to divert to Miami.
Federal prosecutors have charged Juan Gabriel Reyes with interference with flight crew members and assault after authorities said he created a disturbance aboard Frontier Airlines Flight 3345 from San Juan to Chicago on May 31.
According to a federal complaint filed in Miami, Reyes walked to the front of the aircraft about 45 minutes after takeoff and made contact with an emergency exit door in what appeared to be an attempt to open it. A flight attendant told investigators that Reyes said he wanted to get off the plane. After being instructed not to touch the door, Reyes allegedly tried to open the cockpit door. Flight attendants were forced to interrupt their normal duties to deal with him, according to the complaint.
Another passenger told investigators that Reyes ignored repeated commands from flight attendants and rammed his shoulder into the cockpit door. Reyes then moved to a seat that was not assigned to him near the rear of the plane, authorities said.
An off-duty flight attendant volunteered to move seats and sit near Reyes, officials said. The situation quickly escalated.
Investigators said the off-duty attendant was leaning across the aisle to retrieve personal belongings when Reyes suddenly lunged at him. Witnesses told authorities that Reyes climbed on top of the victim, grabbed him by the head, and choked him.
Several passengers, including Longood, rushed in to help, pulling Reyes away from the victim and restraining him with flex cuffs and seatbelt extenders. Witnesses said Reyes repeatedly broke free from the restraints, at times forcing passengers to physically hold him down.
One passenger told investigators that Reyes escaped from the flex cuffs three or four times. Another witness said Reyes had to be continuously restrained to keep him from breaking free again. The disruption became serious enough that the flight crew diverted the aircraft to Miami, where federal authorities met the plane.
