A New York man was arrested for drug possession in Minnesota after he allegedly caused disturbance on a JetBlue flight from JFK Airport and forced the plane to land before it got to San Francisco.
In a video recorded by another passenger, a crew member of the JetBlue flight 915 is seen explaining to the cabin what happened before Mark Anthony Scerbo of Mechanicville, New York, was removed from the plane by MSP Airport Police on Sunday. The employee said the 42-year-old passenger made multiple trips to the bathroom, was antagonizing other passengers, touched a female passenger and was told multiple times to put his mask on.
"Uhhh my @JetBlue flight JFK-SFO just got diverted to MSP because an anti-masker was snorting coke in the bathroom and sexually harassing another passenger… props for to the crew for dealing with this maniac," Matt Kawashima, the passenger who recorded the video, said in a tweet.
Scerbo was seen "snorting a white substance" and made threats to passengers and flight attendants, making everyone uncomfortable, the JetBlue crew member said in his announcement. Passengers audibly cheered after the employee explained that.
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In a statement, a JetBlue spokesperson confirmed to NBC News that a passenger "began acting erratically and aggressively toward crewmembers and other customers."
"The flight was met by law enforcement, the customer was removed and the flight continued on to San Francisco. Safety is JetBlue’s first priority, and we appreciate our crewmembers’ response and our customers’ patience during this incident," spokesperson Derek Dombrowski said.
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According to Minneapolis Airport police, Scerbo was arrested for possession of a controlled substance.
"The FBI could separately bring federal charges for behaviors during the flight," said Patrick Hogan of Metropolitan Airports Commission.
