Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A Leominster, Massachusetts man has been sentenced for attempting to open an emergency exit door and attacking a flight attendant during a United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Boston in March 2023.
Francisco Severo Torres, 35, received a sentence of time served—about 26 months in prison—and five years of supervised release. As part of his release conditions, Torres is prohibited from flying on commercial aircraft. He pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon. Torres was initially charged by criminal complaint following his arrest at Boston Logan International Airport and later indicted by a federal grand jury.
The incident occurred about 45 minutes before the plane’s scheduled landing when the cockpit received an alarm indicating that an emergency exit door had been disarmed. A flight attendant discovered that the door’s locking handle had been partially moved out of position and the emergency slide arming lever had been set to “disarmed.” The door and slide were secured, and the captain was notified.
A fellow flight attendant reported seeing Torres near the door and suspected him of tampering with it. When confronted, Torres asked if there were cameras showing his actions. The crew then alerted the captain that they believed Torres posed a threat to the aircraft.
Shortly after this exchange, Torres left his seat and approached two flight attendants standing near the starboard side door. One attendant saw him mouthing words he could not hear. Passenger video captured Torres yelling threats such as “kill every man on this plane” and “I’m taking over this plane.” He then attempted to stab one of the attendants in the neck area three times with a broken metal spoon. Passengers subdued Torres with help from the crew until authorities took him into custody upon landing in Boston.
Passengers later reported that before takeoff, Torres asked another passenger where on the safety card it showed the location of the door handle, and he was seen pacing in a galley before attacking.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox announced today’s sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum prosecuted the case.
