Posted on 11/14/2006 5:08:58 AM PST by Rb ver. 2.0
Couple from California face federal charges for alleged airborne antics
ANDREA WEIGL
(Raleigh) News & Observer
RALEIGH - A California couple whose in-flight friskiness on the way to Raleigh was a bit much for other passengers are facing federal charges for harassing the flight attendant who asked them to stop.
Carl Warren Persing and Dawn Elizabeth Sewell are scheduled to go to trial Dec. 11 at the federal courthouse in Wilmington for their behavior during a Sept. 15 flight.
The indictment states that "the defendants repeatedly engaged in overt sexual activity in the cabin of the plane to such an extent that the flight attendant had to direct them to stop."
But Persing and Sewell wouldn't halt their public displays of affection, and Persing threatened the flight attendant who made the request and refused to serve them alcohol, according to the court records.
Efforts to reach Persing, of Lakewood, Calif., and Sewell, of Huntington Beach, Calif., were unsuccessful.
Their defense lawyers did not return messages Monday.
It is unclear how often disruptive passengers are charged with crimes. The Federal Aviation Administration tracks only incidents involving unruly passengers that are reported by the flight crew and are not referred to law enforcement. There were 79 incidents this year as of Sept. 20 -- in comparison to last year's total of 203.
FBI special agent Michael Sutton wrote in an affidavit that Persing and Sewell were on a Southwest Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Raleigh with a stop in Phoenix. On the first trip, Persing and Sewell sat in separate rows, and Persing was served one alcoholic drink. From Phoenix to Raleigh, the pair sat next to each other.
While in the plane on the ground in Phoenix, the couple were kissing, embracing and "acting in a manner that made other passengers uncomfortable," Sutton wrote in his affidavit.
"Persing was observed nuzzling or kissing Sewell on the neck, and around the collarbone in the vicinity of her breast," Sutton wrote. Persing was also observed with his face pressed against Sewell's lower body.
At first, the couple complied with a request from a flight attendant to stop their behavior. But they soon resumed during the flight.
When asked again, according to Sutton's affidavit, Persing told the flight attendant: "I'm going to give you one warning to get out of my face."
Things deteriorated from there, according to Sutton's affidavit: The flight attendant refused to serve them alcohol. Persing called the flight attendant "a punk." Persing kept asking for alcohol.
Sewell told the flight attendants that she worked for a lawyer and it was illegal not to serve alcohol to them. The flight attendant told them to stop asking for alcohol.
Persing said, "You and I are gonna have some serious confrontation when we get off this plane."
When the couple got off the plane in Raleigh, law enforcement officials were waiting.
"Trouser Snakes on a Plane" ping...
"When the couple got off the plane in Raleigh, law enforcement officials were waiting."
AS they should be.
I would bet [insert large dollar figure] that these folks are committed Democrats who seldom vote, but go to all the right parties. IT's all about them.
Trying to join the Mile-High Fight Club?
Threats like that do not go over well in the post 9/11 world. And lawyers aren't cheap.
What in the heck is wrong with people?
Noting like a bucket of water in blue (cops) to stop the action!!!
LMAO - "I work for a lawyer, and boy, are YOU going to get into trouble!"
A way to combat "in flight stress"
Setting aside all the horror stories we read here about cops, isn't it nice to imagine this couple met at the gate by a some with a 'tude? I now I'm surly after a flight, and I would've paid to watch.
now = know
What's not sexy and alluring about that setting?
"What a coupla maroons."
Hey, there's a door. Reduce speed to minimum, open door, shove out, say "Have a nice day", close dorr, resume flight!
A bad case of "I want what I want when I want it and you can't make me not do it!"
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
If they had been two guys the cops would've nabbed the flight attendant and charged her with a hate crime.
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