In late February, two women caused an American Airlines flight to be diverted when they got into an altercation with another passenger who asked them to stop using racial slurs.
According to KTLA, American Airlines flight 776 was bound for LAX from Dallas-Fort Worth on February 26th, when it had to be diverted and land in Phoenix due to an altercation between three passengers.
As per Phoenix Police Sgt. Mercedes Fortune, two women were using racial slurs when a male passenger asked them to stop using offensive language. Kelly Pichardo, age 30 allegedly spit at the man, who then began recording them. Leeza, Rodriguez age 29, then proceeded to hit the man’s hand in an effort to stop him from recording.
The women were arrested when the flight landed, with both women looking at charges of disorderly conduct, and Rodriguez also facing an assault charge.
Following their removal from the plane, the flight continued to LAX without issue.
American Airlines has now made an official statement about the altercation:
Said a spokesperson: “Upon arrival, the flight was met by local law enforcement who removed and arrested two individuals for verbally and physically assaulting other customers and flight crew members. Their behavior was disturbing and unacceptable, and they have been placed on the internal refuse list pending further investigation.
“We continue to investigate this incident and are working directly with impacted customers to ensure their well-being,” they added. “We thank our crewmembers for their professionalism in managing a difficult situation.”
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
