The FBI is investigating after a person authorities say was an unticketed passenger was faraway from a Delta Air Traces flight at Salt Lake Metropolis Worldwide Airport Sunday morning.In keeping with a prison grievance filed within the case, officers arrested Wicliff Fleurizard, 26, of George, Texas, who was faraway from Flight 1683, which was to move for Austin. The grievance says he had a boarding cross when passing by way of safety however not for the flight he boarded.
It says Fleurizard informed police he was in Utah on snowboarding journey to Park Metropolis however needed to get dwelling to see relations who’d flown in from Florida. He stated a pal gave him a free “buddy cross” for Southwest Airways and that was the ticket he used to get by way of safety, however the flight he meant to get on was full so he went to the Delta gate.The grievance says he was seen on safety digicam video utilizing his cellphone to take photos of different folks’s boarding passes with out their data and it seems he used a type of photos to board the Delta aircraft, the place he tried to stow away in first the entrance after which the rear bathroom. However when he left that toilet, there have been no seats left and, because the aircraft was taxiing, flight attendants realized there was a difficulty and the aircraft returned to the gate.
In keeping with the grievance, Fleurizard “admitted he had made a mistake and was solely making an attempt get dwelling.”Salt Lake Metropolis Police inform CBS Information officers had been known as to a gate within the A Concourse by the airline round 10:30 a.m. native time following an “on-board incident involving Mr. Fleurizard whereas the plane was making ready to depart.”In a press release, Delta says the airline “is cooperating with legislation enforcement and related federal companies concerning an investigation right into a non-ticketed particular person being escorted off an plane in Salt Lake Metropolis previous to a scheduled departure. We defer any further inquiries to legislation enforcement.”The Transportation Safety Administration says in a press release that the suspect “was screened with out incident on the safety checkpoint … utilizing a photograph ID that matched the title on the boarding cross.”
“The passenger had a boarding cross. We do not affirm flight particulars of particular person vacationers,” a TSA spokesperson stated. However Delta tells CBS Information he “didn’t have a ticket for DL1683, working SLC-AUS on March 17.”Police say the suspect is being held on a federal detainer on the Salt Lake County Metro Jail. Information point out he stays behind bars. Flight 1683 departed about half-hour late. The FBI declined additional remark. Final month, a lady boarded an American Airways Nashville-to-Los Angeles flight with no boarding cross. The TSA confirms the girl was capable of sneak previous the ID-boarding cross screening however did undergo the magnetometers/luggage examine. The lady was taken into FBI custody at LAX on Feb 7.
— further reporting by Brian Dakss
Extra from CBS Information
Kris Van Cleave
Kris Van Cleave is CBS Information’ senior transportation and nationwide correspondent primarily based in Phoenix.