A man allegedly leaned across a toddler on a United Airlines flight from Orlando to Washington Dulles so that he could forcibly grab his girlfriend’s hand and stick her fingers in his mouth before biting down.
Robert Peck III has been charged with assault following the incident aboard United Airlines flight UA-545 on September 30, but has since been released on bail, with conditions including mandatory mental health testing.
According to a criminal affidavit filed in a Virginia district court, Peck was sitting with his girlfriend and her toddler towards the back of the United Airlines Boeing 737 when a verbal altercation ensued between the two just 10 minutes into the flight.
During this argument, Peck allegedly grabbed his girlfriend’s hand and pulled it towards him, shoving multiple fingers into his mouth and then biting down “with force.”
The victim struggled to free her now bleeding fingers from Peck’s mouth and then nursed her injuries in her lap as Peck verbally berated.
The victim sat quietly as Peck allegedly told her that he “should have slit her throat” and threatened to punch her in the face.
When he noticed that the victim’s fingers were bleeding, Peck didn’t show any sign of remorse but instead threatened to bite her again. During the flight, Peck became increasingly agitated and, at one point, grabbed the victim’s arm with such force that it left finger-sized bruises on her bicep.
The victim tried not to engage with Peck, but once the plane landed in Washington, she was able to alert a flight attendant, who requested medical assistance for the woman.
Following his arrest, Peck reportedly admitted to grabbing and biting the victim.
Peck is next expected to appear in court on November 18, 2025.
