A Florida-bound flight had to return to Georgia on Monday evening after a passenger attacked two flight attendants. His sister, who was traveling with him, justified his actions by claiming, “He hurts evil.”
Delange Augustin, 31, faces charges of interfering with flight crew members, according to an affidavit filed in Georgia federal court. He and his sister were passengers on American Eagle flight 4162, operated by Envoy, which was traveling from Savannah to Miami with approximately eight passengers and five crew members.
Less than a minute after takeoff, a flight attendant believed Augustin was experiencing a medical emergency after witnesses reported “stomping, incoherent yelling, and shaking,” as stated in the court filing. When approached, Augustin allegedly “turned in his seat, lifted his legs, and kicked” a flight attendant “in the chest.”
Upon hearing about the incident from the closed cockpit, the pilots decided to turn the plane around and return to Savannah.
Augustin then allegedly punched and kicked the seat of the passenger in front of him. After the passenger moved to another seat, Augustin’s “continued kicking collapsed the chair,” according to the affidavit.
The FBI special agent investigating the incident noted that Augustin briefly calmed down until the plane landed and began taxiing to the gate. Passengers were instructed to remain seated, but Augustin allegedly stormed to the front of the plane while holding onto his sister. In the galley, he allegedly “threw several ‘haymakers,’” striking one of the flight attendants in her upper arm.
Three passengers intervened, pulling Augustin and his sister, identified as Medjina Augustin, to the ground until airport police could subdue him.
Medjina Augustin told the FBI agent that she and her brother were traveling to Haiti to escape “religious attacks of a spiritual nature.” She claimed that “evil comes out in the darkness” and that she “had never experienced as much darkness as was on the plane that evening.” As a result, she said she was “not surprised” that her brother had hurt anyone because “he hurts evil.” She also recounted how her brother told her to close her eyes during the flight because “Satan’s disciple(s) had followed them onto the plane and the legion did not want the Augustins to make it to Haiti.”
The affidavit further revealed that Augustin swallowed rosary beads and was taken to a hospital for evaluation before being transferred to the Chatham County Detention Center. Medjina Augustin stated that her brother swallowed the beads “because they are a weapon of strength in the spiritual warfare,” adding that he was “not suffering from any medical or mental health issue or impairment.”
American Airlines issued a statement to Fox News Digital, saying, “Safety and security are our top priorities. We appreciate the professionalism of the entire crew and thank our passengers for their understanding.”
The flight involved was an Embraer E170, according to FlightAware. Photos of the damaged seat aboard the plane were included in the court filing.
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