Leominster man accused in airplane rampage has history of interactions with police
LEOMINSTER - Police say they're very familiar with the man now facing federal charges in the rampage on a Boston-bound United Airlines plane Sunday.
A passenger recorded the incident on her cellphone. "Just the whole situation was a little surreal," said Lisa Olsen. The 33-year-old man can be heard yelling "I'm taking over this plane" as he makes his way down the aisle.
Francisco Torres is facing federal charges, accused of trying to open an emergency door on the plane mid-flight, and trying to stab a flight attendant with a broken spoon.
"The United Crew was amazing. They blocked the first-class entrance, which led to the cockpit," Olsen said.
The video shows Torres quickly tackled by a group of passengers. "Many men from the plane jumped up, followed him, tackled him to the ground, and there were probably about four to six of them that sat on top of him to restrain him," said Olsen.
In Torres' Leominster neighborhood, people were shocked. "We actually have two kids here," said Theresa Falco. "I was like, oh my goodness we live next door to that."
Court documents show a history of mental illness. In 2015, Torres was accused of targeting a Fitchburg convenience store. The police report says he "passed a note to the clerk stating he had or needed a gun." The case was dismissed, and Torres was referred to a mental health treatment plan.
In 2017, at the Leominster home where he lives with his parents, his mother told police he grabbed and assaulted her, a charge she later decided not to pursue. Torres sent a note to a judge in that case, saying he was off and on "homeless" and that he wanted to "get a restraining order against thousands of people" he felt harassed by.
Leominster Police Chief Aaron Kennedy said the department often got calls from people concerned about Torres' behavior in public. "Obviously, hopefully he gets some help. People do go through tough times, and they just need to get the right help, but to see that on the airplane, that could have been quite bad," he said.
Torres is due for an arraignment in federal court Thursday. If convicted, he could face a sentence of life behind bars.