PHOENIX (CBSDFW.COM/AP) – Two women were arrested after authorities said one of them spat on a passenger who asked them to stop using racial slurs in their conversation, leading to an argument that caused the Dallas-Fort Worth flight to be diverted.
American Airlines said the flight was en route to Los Angeles when it was diverted to Sky Harbor International Airport on Thursday at about 5:15 pm due to an altercation in the flight.
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When the flight landed, police officers from the Phoenix Police Department arrested Kelly Pichardo, 30, and Leeza Rodriguez, 29, both from the Bronx, New York, saying they verbally and physically assaulted other passengers and crew members.
Phoenix Police Sgt. Mercedes Fortune said women were using racial slurs when a male passenger asked them to stop using their tongues. Pichardo would have spat on the man, who then began to record them. Fortune said that Rodriguez then hit the man’s hand to stop him from recording.
Rodriguez faces charges of assault and disorderly conduct and Pichardo faces charges of disorderly conduct.
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American Airlines released a statement about the incident:
During the route from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Los Angeles (LAX), American Airlines flight 776 was diverted to Phoenix (PHX) as a result of an altercation with a customer on board. Upon arrival, the flight was received by local police, who removed and arrested two individuals for verbally and physically assaulting other customers and crew members. Their behavior was disturbing and unacceptable, and they were placed on the internal refusal list while being investigated. We continue to investigate this incident and work directly with affected customers to ensure their well-being. We thank our crew for their professionalism in managing a difficult situation.
The flight continued to Los Angeles and arrived without further incident.
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