Court documents: 3 Long Island women accused of assaulting airline employee at JFK

According to court documents, Janessa Torres, of Central Islip, and Johara Zavala, of Central Islip, and Jordan Nixon, of Bay Shore, were charged in the Sept. 22, 2021 incident.

News 12 Staff

Jan 13, 2022, 6:35 PM

Updated 1,073 days ago

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Officials say three women from Suffolk County are accused of assaulting a Delta Air Lines security officer at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
According to court documents, Janessa Torres, of Central Islip, and Johara Zavala, of Central Islip, and Jordan Nixon, of Bay Shore, were charged in the Sept. 22, 2021 incident.
The defendants are accused of viciously assaulting an airline security officer by beating him to the floor with his radio and then kicking and punching him in the face and body.
“The extreme and aggressive behavior in connection with our air travel is out of control. This office has zero tolerance for violent conduct that threatens the safety of airline passengers and employees and will prosecute defendants who allegedly engage in such conduct to the fullest extent of the law,” says United States Attorney Breon Peace.
“The FBI is the lead federal agency in charge of arresting those who assault, intimidate, or threaten flight crew, or endanger the safety of other passengers,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Michael Driscoll. “Anyone who thinks they can get away with this type of unruly behavior should be reminded that their actions are criminal and can result in time behind bars as a result of federal criminal charges. We are aggressively addressing this emerging threat and take all cases seriously.”
According to court documents, the defendants refused to leave a jetway at JFK after they were informed that they would be denied boarding for a Delta Air Lines scheduled flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Court documents state the defendants were belligerent, with one appearing to be visibly disoriented and possibly intoxicated, and another who was refusing to properly wear her mask.
The flight’s gate agent notified the flight crew of the defendants’ belligerent conduct, and the captain of the flight and a member of the flight crew determined that the defendants should not be allowed to board the flight. The defendants refused the request of an airline security officer to leave the jetway and approached him while yelling and cursing.