Less than a second after an American Airlines flight departed from Savannah, Georgia, for Miami on Monday night, conflict erupted as a customer began” stomping, yelling and shaking”, before attacking two flight attendants and violently striking the chair in front of him.
Believing a diabolical nature had boarded the plane, the customer struggled to regain control and, in a ridiculous attempt to ward it off began swallowing necklace stones mid-flight. The rider, identified as 31-year-old Delange Augustin, was travelling with his girlfriend Medjina Augustin.
According to an FBI affidavit filed on Tuesday in US District Court, Augustin had instructed his sister to” close her eyes and pray because Satan’s disciple ( s ) had followed them onto the plane”.
The Envoy Air-operated journey, carrying eight people, saw no serious injury, while Augustin faces multiple charges, including criminal power, barrier of officers and criminal legal property damage.
FBI Agent Savannah Solomon described the incident, stating that flight attendants initially suspected the passenger was experiencing an epileptic episode shortly after takeoff.
As the crew observed his erratic behavior—including” stomping, incoherent yelling, and shaking” concern grew. When a flight attendant approached to check on him, the passenger suddenly turned and forcefully kicked the attendant in the chest, propelling them into a window across the aisle.
The passenger then began aggressively kicking and punching the seat in front of him, causing the occupant to move just before the seatback gave way.
Upon landing back in Savannah, the passenger attempted to rush toward the exit, attacking another flight attendant in the process. He was ultimately restrained by fellow passengers, according to the affidavit.
Airport police arrested him, and he was taken to a hospital for “ingestion of rosary beads”, before being transferred to Chatham County jail the affidavit added.
Court and jail records show no listed legal representation for Augustin. His sister informed the FBI they were en route to Haiti” to flee religious attacks of a spiritual nature”.
She explained that her brother had” swallowed the rosary beads because they are a weapon of strength in spiritual warfare”, adding that he was” not suffering from any medical or mental health issue or impairment”.
She further mentioned that “evil comes out in the darkness”, and expressed that she “had never experienced as much darkness as was on the plane that evening”. She additionally stated, as documented in the filing, that” ]s ] he was not surprised” about her brother “had hurt anyone because he hurts evil”.
