Unruly pax USA - Curt Lewis

Man took magic mushrooms and then assaulted United flight attendants, authorities say

A man was arrested on assault charges after authorities say he attacked two United Airlines flight attendants on a trip from Miami to Washington, D.C — because he had consumed magic mushrooms. 

The incident on Oct. 4 began when Cherruy Loghan Sevilla started to cause a disturbance one hour into the flight, according to court documents filed in Virginia last week.

Authorities said Sevilla grabbed the arm of the person sitting next to him before he began "wandering around the plane, running up and down the aisle, clapping loudly near the cockpit and yelling obscenities." The affidavit said Sevilla also broke off a piece of a bathroom door and opened it when a passenger was inside it.

The flight crew was able to get Sevilla back into his seat, but his "screams and outburst grew louder," according to the affidavit. Sevilla laid on the floor, and when a flight attendant attempted to tell him to get back in his seat, authorities said he refused and grabbed the flight attendant's breast.

Officers on board, along with other members of the flight crew and passengers, attempted to subdue Sevilla, the affidavit said. Officers handcuffed Sevilla, but he twisted the arm of another flight attendant during the struggle. 

The affidavit said Sevilla continued "to scream and yell incoherent things" while handcuffed for the remainder of the two-hour flight and yelled when the plane landed as federal officers boarded the flight to arrest him. 

When questioned by the FBI hours later, Sevilla told authorities he had taken psilocybin before the flight. The psychedelic drug, also known as magic mushrooms, produces hallucinogenic effects, according to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation. Authorities said Sevilla told them it wasn't the first time he had taken the drug and remembered "being out of his seat, being loud and touching people."

"Sevilla said that he was not totally surprised that he acted this way after consuming it. Sevilla stated that he was sorry for his actions," the affidavit said. 

Sevilla was charged with assault and with interfering with flight crew members and attendants, and he will appear in court next week. 

Sevilla's attorney, Shannon Quill, did not immediately respond to USA TODAY.

In a statement to USA TODAY, United thanked those who helped in handling the situation.

"We also followed up with our crew members to make sure they were ok. We’d like to thank our crew for handling this difficult situation with professionalism," the statement said.