Man Tries To Hijack Plane Toward SoCal, Holds Flight Attendant Hostage

SAN DIEGO, CA — A passenger on a Volaris flight bound for Tijuana attempted to hijack an airplane on Sunday, demanding that the aircraft keep going into San Diego, according to the airline.

Volaris posted on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the flight was en route to Tijuana from El Bajío, Mexico that morning when a passenger attempted to divert the plane toward the U.S. "through the use of force," according to a translation of the post.

After the man was subdued, the plane was diverted to Guadalajara Airport, where the man was arrested, the airline said. Mexico's Federal Civil Aviation Agency confirmed that the man was taken into custody after the emergency landing. The passenger was only identified as a 31-year-old Mexican national named Mario, according to multiple reports.

All passengers and crew members arrived safely and later continued to Tijuana, Volaris said.

"Volaris regrets the inconvenience caused by this situation. For Volaris, the safety of our passengers and crew is the highest priority," according to a translated statement from the airline.

According to a witness on the airplane, the man was traveling with his wife and children when he stood up and grabbed a flight attendant during the flight, FOX5 reported.

The man reportedly held a pen against the attendant's neck and grabbed a hold of one of the doors on the aircraft, threatening to jump to his death and take her with him if the plane was not diverted. Passengers began screaming as he managed to get the door cracked open, but a passenger was able to grab him and pull him back as the crew detained him, the news station reported.

According to multiple reports, the hijacker said he had been threatened by criminals who kidnapped one of his relatives just before takeoff. After his arrest, the man told authorities that his life was in danger if he traveled to Tijuana, ABC News reported.

Mexican law enforcement said the man had been detained by National Guard officers in Guadalajara, where the flight made an emergency landing, according to multiple reports.

No other information was immediately available.