Flier accused of attacking flight attendant

A passenger who is accused of punching a flight attendant and trying to bite his face during an alcohol-fueled scuffle has been released on bond.

Antonio Ynoa was arraigned in federal court in New York on Monday on charges of assault and interference with a flight crew after an incident that happened Saturday on a JetBlue flight from Santiago, the Dominican Republic, to New York.

Ynoa first caught the crew’s attention when he stumbled and appeared drunk as he left his seat to go to the lavatory, according to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in New York.

A flight attendant then observed him acting “erratically” and banging on the armrest of his seat, the court documents say. When he asked Ynoa to calm down, the passenger allegedly told him to “get out of (his) face.”

Later, other passengers reported that Ynoa was drinking duty-free alcohol out of a bottle and when the flight attendant asked Ynoa to hand over the container, Ynoa began swearing and threw a backpack at him, according to the complaint.

He also threw a bag containing two alcohol bottles in the flight attendant’s direction, but missed, the court papers say. Ynoa then stood up and allegedly poked the crew member with his finger.

When the flight attendant asked Ynoa to sit down, Ynoa punched him three times in the face, according to the complaint.

The flight attendant then attempted to restrain Ynoa, at which point Ynoa tried to “head-butt the flight attendant and attempted to bite his face,” the court documents state.

A passenger – who happened to be an off-duty New York City police officer, according to CNN affiliate NY1 – finally helped the flight attendant wrestle Ynoa to the ground, but not before the Good Samaritan also was punched in the face by the unruly flier, according to the complaint.

Ynoa’s attorney declined to comment on the case.