In November 2023, a passenger aboard a Denver-based Frontier Airlines (FRON) – Get Free Report flight went viral after causing a scene in which she refused to obey the flight attendant’s instructions to sit down and then started pushing other travelers and, at one point, made the motion to take her pants off and urinate in the middle of the aisle.
The video that one of the other passengers posted on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter that was then reshared by several right-wing influencers was viewed nearly 14 million times. The 60-year-old Dulce Huertas is seen flailing and cursing at both the flight crew and fellow passengers.
Related: Woman Banned From United Airlines For Diverting Flight ‘Over Wine’
The flight was heading from Orlando to Philadelphia and much of the pushing and yelling captured in the video took place after the flight landed. While the incident occurred on Nov. 20, special aircraft jurisdiction authorities have just completed their investigation and charged Huertas with interference with flight crew members and attendants, simple assault, and indecent exposure.
The Frontier plane had already landed when the traveler continued causing a scene.
Image source: Shutterstock
Complaint claims traveler ‘resumed her aggressive behavior and pushed passengers out of the way’
If convicted, she could face a maximum sentence of 21 years in prison, supervised release and a $355,000 fine.
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“Once the plane arrived at the gate and the seatbelt sign was turned off — but before any external doors were opened to allow passengers to leave the aircraft — Huertas resumed her aggressive behavior and pushed passengers out of the way as she moved to the front of the plane,” reads the criminal complaint first reported by local Philadelphia news outlets.
The report also claims Huertas used her stomach to bump against a flight attendant who was blocking a door to prevent her from getting out before security could get to the plane and making verbal threats to kill several of the fellow passengers.
The incident caused FBI, Federal Air Marshal Service to get involved
According to several accounts from those who were present on the flight, the incident began because Huertas was prevented from going to the lavatory because the plane had already begun its descent. In the video, she is heard yelling “I gotta go pee!” and “let me pass, let me pass” before squatting and threatening to urinate then and there.
She was, according to the report, served two alcoholic drinks during the flight’s beverage service.
While the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) investigated the events enough to be able to initiate the charges against Huertas, both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Air Marshal Service are still conducting their own investigations into the incident.
In April 2023, an American Airlines (AAL) – Get Free Report passenger on a flight to New Delhi from New York’s JFK made international news after another passenger accused him of getting into an argument and starting to urinate on her mid-flight.
Upon landing, he was greeted by local Indian law enforcement. A similar incident occurred a month earlier on another JFK-New Delhi flight in March 2023 and American Airlines banned the passenger from flying with the airline. In both incidents, the travelers were suspected to have been “heavily intoxicated.”
