An enraged passenger choked and attacked flight attendant in a chaotic mid-air meltdown after a weekend at Disneyland.
Charles Angel Salva, 30, of Fremont, has now been charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants following his actions, after appearing in court on Thursday.
On Monday, Salva was on board the Frontier Airlines Flight 3581 that departed John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana bound for San Francisco International Airport before he had his meltdown.
Just after the plane had taken off and remained under 10,000ft, flight attendants noticed that the oxygen masks in one row of the middle of the aircraft were out of the overhead compartment.
Authorities said when they began to investigate what was going on, they discovered Salva with his hand in the compartment while appearing claustrophobic and distressed.
Charles Angel Salva has been charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants following a meltdown on Frontier Airlines Flight 3581
A passenger told investigators that the man had pulled down the oxygen masks from the overhead holding area before his hand became lodged.
He then chillingly began yelling ‘We are all going to hell’ and ‘This plane is going down’, according to court documents.
As Salva continued to unleash chaos, a flight attendant attempted to restrain him as he tried to grab other passengers, authorities said.
Salva then allegedly ran down the aisle towards the back of the plane before yanking a lanyard around a flight attendant’s neck while saying: ‘I’m going to choke this b****,’ as he attempted to choke her.
Prosecutors added that the enraged man also shoved another flight attendant ‘with force’ and claimed he was going to kill everyone on the plane.
Brave passengers tried to restrain Salva as he threw kicks – with one hitting the second flight attendant in the leg.
Due to the violent outburst, the flight was diverted to Ontario International Airport, California, where authorities boarded the plane and saw passengers pinning him down.
Salva was apprehended at the airport and restrained with soft cuffs before being taken to a local hospital.
‘We extend our utmost appreciation to the flight crew for their professionalism and to the other passengers who assisted during the incident, as well as local and federal law enforcement, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, for their efforts to ensure justice,’ a Frontier statement to Fox News Digital said.
The attendant who had her leg kicked was also treated in hospital for her injuries.
A passenger told officers that Salva had been flying back to San Francisco after spending a weekend at Disneyland with his three-year-old daughter.
But on Sunday, Salva left his toddler with the unnamed passenger and their family before disappearing, court documents revealed.
He allegedly admitted to taking ecstacy before boarding the plane and reportedly told police ‘I’m a child molester’ and that he had molested his daughter multiple times before losing custody rights, reports Fox News.
Salva now faces up to 20 years in federal prison with the FBI and the Ontario Police Department investigating the matter.