Southwest passenger accused of grabbing flight attendant, demanding kiss, faces federal charges

A man is facing federal charges after authorities say he assaulted two flight attendants and demanded a kiss from one of them during a flight from California to Las Vegas.

The suspect was charged with two counts of simple assault after the FBI filed a complaint with the U.S. District Court of Nevada on Friday.

The incident took place on a Southwest flight from Palm Springs to Las Vegas in October, according to a five-page criminal complaint filed by the FBI.

About 100 passengers, including the suspect and three flight attendants, were on board the plane when the alleged assault took place.

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A jump seat, a demanded kiss and a panic attack

Court papers filed by a FBI special agent reveal that about 20 minutes before the plane landed, the suspect got up from his seat, approached a flight attendant sitting in a jump seat in the back of the plane and demanded she kiss him.

"(The victim) got up from her jump seat, at which point the suspect put his arms on her shoulders and demanded a kiss again before stating that he was going to have a panic attack if (the flight attendant) did not go into the bathroom with him."

The complaint goes on to say the suspect grabbed the flight attendant and attempted to push her into the bathroom, causing her to fear for her life.

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A second reported assault

The flight attendant pushed the suspect away, FBI agents said, and she called for help from another flight attendant, who ran to the back of the plane and tried to calm the suspect down.

Instead, the complaint continues, the suspect grabbed that flight attendant's shoulders and, once again, said he needed a kiss from her coworker.

"(The suspect) then grabbed (the first flight attendant's) face and squeezed hard while trying to kiss her," court papers say.

According to the FBI, three other men on board stepped in and restrained the suspect in a back-row seat until the flight landed at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.

It was not immediately known where the suspect is from or whether he was in custody Tuesday.

Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Man accused of grabbing Southwest flight attendants, demanding kiss