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An American Airlines flight was forced to be diverted after two women got into a physical fight on the plane, the police report said on Yahoo.
The incident occurred on a plane bound for Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, to Los Angeles, California. When the altercation broke out, the plane was diverted to Phoenix, where police “removed and arrested two individuals for verbally and physically assaulting other customers and crew members.”
Witnesses told Phoenix police that Kelly Pichardo, 30, and Leeza Rodriguez, 29, were involved in the strife. Pichardo and Rodriguez were reportedly using a racial slur when a male passenger asked them to stop using that language. This caused Pichardo to spit at the passenger.
“Kelly Pichardo was upset and reportedly spat on the passenger who asked her to stop using that language,” says the police statement. “The male passenger then started to register the two women and it was then that Leeza Rodriguez hit the man’s hand to prevent him from registering the incident.”
Both women were accused of disorderly conduct and Pichardo faces charges of assault. They have since been included on American Airlines’ internal trash list as the investigation continues.
“We continue to investigate this incident and work directly with affected customers to ensure their well-being,” the airline said in a statement. “We thank our crew for their professionalism in managing a difficult situation.
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