Josh Longood was on his way back to Chicago after his brother’s bachelor party in Puerto Rico when the flight took an unexpected turn. The former MMA fighter and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt found himself intervening to restrain a fellow passenger who allegedly attempted to open an emergency exit mid-flight, leading to the plane’s diversion to Miami.
Juan Gabriel Reyes faces charges from federal prosecutors for interfering with flight crew members and assault. Authorities allege that he caused a disturbance on Frontier Airlines Flight 3345, traveling from San Juan to Chicago on May 31.
A federal complaint filed in Miami details that about 45 minutes post-takeoff, Reyes approached the aircraft’s front and interacted with an emergency exit door, seemingly trying to open it. A flight attendant reported that Reyes expressed a desire to leave the plane. When instructed to refrain from touching the door, Reyes allegedly attempted to access the cockpit door, prompting flight attendants to halt their regular duties to manage the situation.
Witnesses recounted that Reyes disregarded repeated commands from the flight attendants and forcefully hit the cockpit door with his shoulder. He then relocated to an unassigned seat at the plane’s rear, according to authorities.
An off-duty flight attendant offered to change seats to sit near Reyes, but the situation deteriorated rapidly.
Investigators indicated that while the off-duty attendant was reaching across the aisle for personal items, Reyes unexpectedly lunged at him. Witnesses described how Reyes climbed on the victim, grabbing his head and choking him.
Several passengers, including Longood, intervened by pulling Reyes off the victim and restraining him using flex cuffs and seatbelt extenders. Despite these measures, witnesses stated that Reyes repeatedly freed himself, necessitating physical restraint by the passengers.
One passenger reported to investigators that Reyes broke free from the flex cuffs three or four times. Another noted the ongoing need to restrain Reyes to prevent further attempts to break loose. The disruption was significant enough to prompt the flight crew to divert the plane to Miami, where federal authorities awaited its arrival.
