A JetBlue passenger was kicked off a flight and arrested after hitting a crew member because she didn't want to sit next to a child
- A 32-year-old JetBlue passenger was kicked off her flight and arrested in Florida on February 14, according to a local police report.
- The passenger, Valerie Gonzalez, was upset about her seating assignment, which placed her next to a child.
- Gonzalez hit a fellow passenger and a gate agent. She was arrested and charged with battery.
- JetBlue confirmed the incident to Business Insider.
A 32-year-old JetBlue passenger was forced to leave her flight and arrested in Florida on February 14 after hitting a gate agent and passenger, according to a local police report.
The passenger, Valerie Gonzalez, was upset about her seating assignment, which placed her next to a child, according to the report from the Broward County Sheriff's Office. Gonzalez was arrested, charged with battery, and taken to Broward County Jail.
"On Thursday, February 14 - during the boarding of Flight 7 from Fort Lauderdale to Las Vegas - crewmembers reported a disruptive customer onboard," JetBlue said in a statement to Business Insider. "Local law enforcement was called and the customer was removed from the flight."
She was released on bond on February 15, USA Today reports.
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After Gonzalez boarded the flight from Fort Lauderdale to Las Vegas, she said would not sit next to a three-year-old, as she had been drinking throughout the day, according to the police report. The report also indicated Gonzalez hit an adult passenger sitting in her row after the passenger declined to trade seats with her. In addition, Gonzalez moved to another seat without receiving approval from the flight's crew. Gonzalez was eventually kicked off the flight due to her disruptive behavior.
While being escorted from the flight by a gate agent and local law enforcement official, Gonzalez tried to return to the flight and hit the gate agent in the head, the police report said.
Throughout the incident, Gonzalez spat at fellow passengers, flight crew, and law enforcement officials, according to the report.
A video of the incident was posted on Twitter, according to USA Today.
The flight's takeoff was delayed by over two hours, according to the flight-tracking site FlightAware.