Man sentenced for attempting to open emergency exit mid-flight, stab flight attendant in March 2023

BOSTON, Mass. (WLNE) — A Leominster man was sentenced on Tuesday after he attempted to open an emergency door mid-flight and then attempted to stab a flight attendant in March 2023, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

35-year-old Francisco Severo Torres was sentenced to time served, which is about 26 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, in which he is prohibited from flying on a commercial airplane.

In March 2023, the plane was about 45 minutes from arrival in Boston when the crew received an alarm that a side door on the aircraft was disarmed, and discovered the locking handle had been moved.

A flight attendant confronted Torres, who responded and asked if cameras showed he had tampered with the door.

The flight attendant then told the captain that they believed Torres “posed a threat to the aircraft” and that they needed to land the plane, according to the USAO.

Torres then approached the side door where two flight attendants were standing, and according to USAO, yelled and pointed that he would “kill every man on this plane” and “I’m taking over this plane.”

The USAO said he then “thrust[ed] towards one of the flight attendants in a stabbing motion” with a broken metal spoon and hit a flight attendant three times on their neck.

Torres was then tackled by crew members and restrained.

Police arrested Torres when the plane landed.

Torres pled guilty in May 2025 to one count of interference and attempted interference with flight crew members and attendants using a dangerous weapon.