Former MMA fighter helps restrain passenger who tried to open door on Frontier Airlines flight to Chicago

A former professional MMA fighter from Chicago came to the rescue when an unruly passenger tried to open a Frontier Airlines door mid-flight on Sunday while the plane was headed to O’Hare International Airport.

In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said Frontier Airlines Flight 3345 from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to O’Hare was diverted to Miami due to a “passenger disturbance” reported by the crew.

In a statement, the Federal Aviation Administration said Frontier Airlines Flight 3345 was in the air en route from San Juan to Chicago when there was a “passenger disturbance” reported by the crew.

The FAA said the flight landed safely at Miami International Airport around 11:55 p.m. ET.

When the plane landed, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s police arrested 51-year-old Juan Reyes, who is accused of trying to choke a passenger, trying to open an exit door on the plane, and trying to break into the cockpit.

“Law enforcement boarded the aircraft in Miami and removed the passenger and the flight subsequently continued on to Chicago a few hours later,” Frontier Airlines said in a statement.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said flight attendants and other passengers on the plane told them Reyes tried to open the exit doors while in flight, saying he wanted to get off the plane. Flight attendants tried to stop him and told him to sit down, but he ignored them and instead went to the front of the plane, where police said he tried to get into the pilot’s cabin.

Flight attendants tried multiple times to get him back to his seat, then took him to a different seat, and an off-duty flight attendant volunteered to sit in his row on the aisle, police said. When the off-duty attendant got up to use the bathroom, police said Reyes tried to grab his bag. When he was told not to touch the off-duty attendant’s belongings, police said they were told Reyes then attacked the off-duty flight attendant, trying to choke him, as other passengers restrained him.

Josh Longood, a former MMA fighter from Chicago, helped restrain Reyes until the plane landed.

“I was just thankful that I was in the row in front of him, because as he was, like, freaking out, I was thinking, I was like, ‘Man, I’m so glad I’m, like, here and not, like, up way away from him and multiple rows away,” Longood said.

Reyes was arrested when the plane landed in Miami. 

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office has charged him with one misdemeanor count of battery. The FBI also is investigating.