A Mexican national, who gained lawful permanent residency in 2018, pleaded guilty Thursday to charges related to a violent in-flight assault on a Seattle-to-Las Vegas trip. Federal prosecutors detail that Julio Alvarez Lopez used a makeshift weapon to attack another passenger, attempting to stab him “through the eye to reach his brain” about 30 minutes before landing.
According to a criminal complaint, Lopez created the weapon by bundling three pens with hairbands. Witnesses described a chaotic scene as Lopez suddenly attacked a fellow passenger, identified only as C.R., delivering punches and using the homemade weapon. “Blood was everywhere,” witnesses reported, while the victim’s wife tried to protect their 7-year-old son, getting struck in the process.
Lopez, following the assault, moved towards the front of the aircraft. A witness recounted Lopez shouting, “I’ll only talk to the FBI,” as passengers and an onboard law enforcement officer restrained him. The flight ended safely at Las Vegas’s Harry Reid International Airport, where the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department took Lopez into custody.
Lopez confessed during an FBI interview that he believed C.R. was following him and claimed he thought C.R. was associated with a cartel. He admitted he planned the attack with an intent to kill C.R. Prosecutors indicated that the victim suffered multiple injuries requiring stitches.
Court documents describe Lopez as “fidgety,” frequently putting on and taking off gloves, and avoiding eye contact. Witnesses saw him standing and going to the restroom twice before the attack. Lopez expressed belief that he was being chased by the mafia and mentioned seeking asylum in the United States.
Lopez’s sentencing is scheduled for September 22. The case has drawn attention due to the severity and premeditated nature of the attack.