An American Airlines flight to Miami was forced to make an emergency turn back after a passenger, Delange Augustin, 31, caused a mid-air disturbance by swallowing rosary beads and assaulting a flight attendant. Augustin claimed that “demonic spirits” had boarded the plane with him.
The plane had only just departed from Savannah, Georgia, on Monday evening when Augustin began “yelling and shaking.” Initially, the crew believed he was having a seizure. But things soon became bizarre when Augustin started swallowing rosary beads, claiming they would shield him from “Satan’s disciple(s)” whom he believed had boarded the flight.
When flight attendants attempted to soothe him, Augustin became aggressive. He kicked one of the flight attendants so forcefully in the chest that they were flung across the aisle and struck a window, an arrest affidavit obtained by The New York Times reported.
Savannah Solomon, a special agent with the FBI, documented in the affidavit that Augustin’s behavior “appeared purposeful, though difficult to describe.”
Augustin’s sister, who was accompanying him, informed the investigators that they were going to Haiti to escape “religious attacks of a spiritual nature.” Augustin instructed his sister to “close her eyes and pray because Satan’s disciple(s) had boarded the plane after them.” His sister also clarified that Augustin swallowed the rosary beads since they were “a weapon of strength in spiritual warfare.”
Once they found out about the disturbance, the pilots turned the plane around. They landed in Savannah, but Augustin continued to cause a ruckus while the crew attempted to assist other passengers off the plane.
He charged to the front of the aircraft and punched a flight attendant. Passengers and crew members were able to hold Augustin and his sister back.
Luckily, none of the eight people on board were seriously injured. Augustin was hospitalized for swallowing the rosary beads and was subsequently arrested. He is currently facing a number of charges on battery and property damage.
American Airlines praised the crew for its professional handling of the incident. “We appreciate the professionalism of the entire crew and thank our passengers for their understanding,” the airline said in a statement.
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