American Airlines flight turned around after passenger allegedly attacked crew member, swallowed rosary beads

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A Florida-bound flight had to turn around to Georgia on Monday evening after a passenger attacked two flight attendants, and his travel companion sister justified his actions by saying, “He hurts evil.”

Delange Augustin, 31, faces a charge of interference with flight crew members, according to an affidavit supporting a criminal complaint filed in Georgia federal court. He and his sister were aboard American Eagle flight 4162, operated by Envoy, from Savannah to Miami that had “approximately eight passengers and five crew members.”

Less than a minute after takeoff, a flight attendant believed Augustin was having a medical emergency due to witnesses noting “stomping, incoherent yelling and shaking,” according to the court filing. When Augustin was approached, he allegedly “turned in his seat, lifted his legs and kicked” a flight attendant “in the chest.”

When the pilots heard what was happening from the closed cockpit, the decision was made to turn the flight around back to Savannah.

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An Embraer E170 passengers aircraft of American Eagle (American Airlines) is seen from another aircraft, flying between Buffalo and Chicago on May 14, 2024. The aircraft involved on Monday was an E170, according to FlightAware.  (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP)

Augustin allegedly then punched and kicked the seat of the passenger in front of him. After the passenger moved seats, Augustin’s “continued kicking collapsed the chair,” according to the affidavit. 

The investigating FBI special agent said Augustin briefly calmed down, until the flight landed and began taxiing to the gate.

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The seat aboard American Eagle flight 4162, operated by Envoy, with service from Savannah (SAV) to Miami (MIA) on March 10, 2025, that Delange Augustin is accused of damaging. (U.S. District Court Southern District of Georgia)

All passengers were asked to remain seated, but Augustin allegedly stormed to the front of the plane while holding onto his sister. Once in the galley of the plane, he allegedly “threw several ‘haymakers,’” striking one of the flight attendants in her upper arm. 

Three passengers then pulled Augustin and his sister, identified as Medjina Augustin, to the ground until airport police were able to subdue him.

Medjina Augustin told the FBI special agent that she and her brother were going to Haiti “to flee religious attacks of a spiritual nature.”

According to the affidavit, she said that the “evil comes out in the darkness,” and that she “had never experienced as much darkness as was on the plane that evening.” As a result, she said according to the filing, “[s]he was not surprised” that her brother “had hurt anyone because he hurts evil.” The affidavit says she recalled how her brother told her to close her eyes on the plane “because Satan’s disciple(s) had followed them onto the plane and the legion did not want the Augustins to make it to Haiti.”

The filing says that Augustin also swallowed rosary beads, and was taken to a hospital for evaluation before being sent to the Chatham County Detention Center. Augustin’s sister, the affidavit states, said he swallowed the beads “because they are a weapon of strength in the spiritual warfare,” adding that he was “not suffering from any medical or mental health issue or impairment.”

“Safety and security are our top priorities,” American Airlines said. (Robert Alexander)

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“Safety and security are our top priorities,” American Airlines said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “We appreciate the professionalism of the entire crew and thank our passengers for their understanding.”