A man accused of attacking another passenger during a flight to Las Vegas has pleaded guilty in federal court following a violent confrontation in the air.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on Jan. 24, 2024, Julio Alvarez Lopez, who was granted legal permanent resident status in 2018 from Mexico, punched, hit, and stabbed another passenger on a flight from Seattle to Las Vegas using a dangerous homemade weapon made from three pens bound together with hair bands. The victim suffered injuries to the body and eye area and required stitches.
After the attack stopped, Lopez walked toward the front of the aircraft and was restrained for the remainder of the flight. The flight later landed at Harry Reid International Airport, where Lopez was taken into custody by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
During an interview in which Lopez waived his Miranda rights, he admitted he armed himself with the homemade weapon, selected the victim because he believed the person was looking at him in a harassing way, and said he attempted to murder the victim by shoving the weapon into the victim’s brain.
Lopez pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 22, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI, the Federal Air Marshal Service, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys are prosecuting the case.
