2 Women Arrested After Racial Slur Fight Diverts American Airlines Flight
On Wednesday (Feb. 24), Phoenix Police officers arrested two women from the Bronx, New York after they engaged in a racial slur fight, which diverted their American Airlines flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Los Angeles.
Speaking on the incident on Flight 776, the airline confirms that after diverting their flight and landing in Phoenix, law enforcement “removed and arrested two individuals for verbally and physically assaulting other customers and flight crew members.”
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Upon arrival, police identified and arrested Kelly Pichardo, 30, and Leeza Rodriguez, 29, after witnesses said the two women repeatedly used a racial slur when a male passenger asked them to stop using it. A police statement from Sgt. Mercedes Fortune read, “Kelly Pichardo became upset and allegedly spit at the male passenger who had asked her to stop using that language. The male passenger then began to record the two women and that is when Leeza Rodriguez struck the man’s hand to keep him from recording the incident.” The two women were both charged with disorderly conduct, and Pichardo faces an additional charge of assault.
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