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A South Florida man accused of attacking flight attendants on a recent flight said he consumed magic mushrooms before the trip, The Washington Post reports.
Cherruy Loghan Sevilla, of Miami, was arrested on October 4 following his United Airlines flight from Miami to Washington Dulles International Airport, according to an arrest affidavit written by FBI Special Agent Daniel Markley.
The madness began when Sevilla grabbed the arm of a young girl, prompting airline employees to move her and her father to other seats. The family noticed he "wasn't right" before the incident, which escalated into Sevilla reportedly “running up and down the aisle, clapping loudly near the cockpit, and yelling obscenities," the report states. Markley also claims Sevilla got in passengers' faces, refused to stay seated, and even broke a piece off the bathroom door while a passenger was inside.
When flight attendants kept asking Sevilla to get into his seat, that's when he grabbed and twisted an employee's breast, according to the affidavit. Other flight attendants and some passengers, including a law enforcement officer, reportedly intervened. Sevilla allegedly twisted the arm of a second flight attendant, making it difficult for them to continue their duties for the rest of their flight.
Airline employees and passengers restrained Sevilla, who kept screaming for the rest of the plane. When the plane landed at the airport, police and the FBI removed the suspect from the aircraft. In an interview with authorities, Sevilla confessed to taking the mushrooms in a Miami airport before the flight.
The National Institutes of Health state that psilocybin mushrooms, commonly known as magic mushrooms, can cause hallucinations and paranoia. While some research has found mental health benefits tied to mushrooms, and several states have decriminalized it, it's still illegal under federal law, including on planes.
Sevilla was booked into jail on charges of assault and interfering with a flight crew. He was released on his own recognizance and is awaiting a preliminary hearing in Alexandria, Virginia.