Man attacks fellow passenger with pen shank mid-flight

A ‘fidgety’ man was taken into custody during an Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Las Vegas for ‘attacking’ co-passenger with a handmade weapon comprised of pens and elastic bands, local police said.

According to investigators, the attacker also threatened the man’s wife and son after viciously stabbing him with a homemade pen shank.

Following the violent confrontation, accused identified Julio Alvarez Lopez was taken into custody at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas on January 24 and charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon.

Using the homemade weapon, Lopez allegedly attempted to carry out the planned attack to kill the passenger during the journey from Seattle to Las Vegas.

The suspect was described as “fidgety” for the whole flight from Seattle to Las Vegas. Resuming his seat after an egregiously extended trip to the lavatory, he started ‘punching and hitting’ the man across the aisle, aiming to stab him in the eye, the outlet reported.

The incident happened on January 24 while Alaska Airlines Flight 604 was landing at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, the airline said in a statement.

“After landing of the plane, law enforcement authorities detained one passenger and the aircraft made a safe landing. The airline added.

“We appreciate our crew’s professionalism in managing the situation,” it added.

The attacker is said to have struck the victim’s wife when she tried to shield their 7-year-old from the aggressive man. Investigators were informed by a witness that “blood was everywhere.”

The affidavit states that Lopez reported to the police that he “felt the Mafia had been chasing him the last few months.” Although he had never met the victim, he admitted that he “planned on killing him” because Lopez thought the victim was a member of the cartel and was pursuing him.

According to the affidavit, Lopez stated, “I planned on attacking and killing him,” and that he was attempting to stab him in the eye in order to reach his brain.

“Just before takeoff, I made the weapon with rubber bands and pens,” the attacker told the investigators.