An illegal immigrant attacked a flight attendant and a passenger on an American Airlines flight to Washington National Airport last Wednesday and then wanted to talk to President Trump because he is “mad,” a criminal complaint filed in a Virginia district court alleges.
Asterius Rulamka has been charged with assault on an aircraft following his outburst aboard American Airlines flight AA5574 on March 5, which was operated by PSA Airlines, a wholly owned regional subsidiary of American Airlines.
According to an FBI affidavit, police were called to meet the flight upon landing at Washington National Airport after the pilots reported a Level 2 threat during the last few minutes of the flight.
A Level 2 threat is recognized internationally as physically abusive behavior and in this case, prosecutors allege that Rulamka got up from his assigned seat in the middle of the cabin and walked to the very back of the plane where he approached the flight attendant and started to yell at the crew member.
Rulamka allegedly threatened the flight attendant by telling him he was
“f**k him up” upon landing. The unruly behavior quickly caught the attention of other passengers who started to record the incident on their mobile phones but this provoked Rulamka further.
Turning his attention to one of the passengers who was recording him, Rulamka grabbed the victim’s arms and also threatened to “f**k him up.” Rulamka then tore the victim’s hat and glasses off his face and began to repeatedly strike him.
The flight attendant jumped up from his seat in an attempt to tear Rulamka away from the victims as other passengers and a second flight attendant waded in to assist. Rulumka initially managed to break free and started running up and down the cabin before he was eventually restrained.
Upon the plane’s arrival in Washington DC, Rulamka allegedly said that he had come to the capital to see President Trump.
Rulamka has been known to the Department for Homeland Security as far back as 2014 when he was identified as a non-immigrant overstay. Immigration proceedings are still, however, underway.
The suspect remains in custody and is expected to next appear in court on Friday.
The maximum sentence that Rulamka faces if found guilty of the offense he has been charged with is one-year imprisonment. Unruly airline passengers are, however, often charged with interfering with the duties of aircrew, which carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, as well as a $250,000 fine.
Coincidence that the flight was the re-numbered ICT-DCA flight that tragically crashed a few weeks ago?
Deport immediately
This is why I travel with several pair of shoe strings in my purse. I am also not afraid to use my shoe to throw at an unruly passenger.