Passenger Assaults Flight Attendant and Attempts Door Breach on Frontier Flight

WHO:

Fox News - Juan Gabriel Reyes, 51, is the passenger involved in the incident.

ABC7 Los Angeles - The flight attendant involved was off-duty at the time of the incident.

ABC7 Los Angeles - Josh Longood, a passenger and Jiu-Jitsu instructor, helped restrain Reyes.

WHAT:

Fox News - Reyes allegedly choked a flight attendant and attempted to open exit doors mid-flight.

ABC7 Los Angeles - Reyes has been charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants, and assault within maritime and territorial jurisdiction.

ABC7 Los Angeles - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has received 687 reports of unruly passengers this year.

WHERE:

ABC7 Los Angeles - The incident occurred on a Frontier Airlines flight en route to Chicago from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

ABC7 Los Angeles - The flight was diverted to Miami International Airport.

WHEN:

ABC7 Los Angeles - The flight was diverted and landed around 11:55 p.m. local time on a Sunday.

ABC7 Los Angeles - The incident occurred about 45 minutes after the flight departed.

HOW:

ABC7 Los Angeles - Reyes attempted to open an emergency exit door and aggressively shoved against the cockpit door.

ABC7 Los Angeles - Passengers and on-duty flight attendants worked together to restrain Reyes using flex cuffs and seatbelt extenders.

ABC7 Los Angeles - Longood stated he restrained Reyes and laid him down in his row, tying him up with a seatbelt.

(UPDATED June 4, 2026 11:54 UTC)

A passenger named Juan Gabriel Reyes, who is 51 years old, allegedly choked a flight attendant and attempted to open exit doors on a Frontier Airlines flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Chicago. The flight was diverted to Miami International Airport after about 45 minutes in the air, where fellow passengers, including Jiu-Jitsu instructor Josh Longood, helped restrain Reyes using flex cuffs and seatbelt extenders. Reyes has been charged with interference with flight crew members and assault within maritime and territorial jurisdiction, as the FAA reports a significant rise in unruly passenger incidents this year.