Mass. man who had violent outburst on Boston-bound flight has history of mental health struggles

BOSTON — A Leominster, Mass. man who is accused of attacking a flight attendant with a makeshift weapon after trying to open an emergency exit door on a Boston-bound flight has a history of mental health struggles.

Francisco Severo Torres, 33, has spent time in a few Massachusetts mental health facilities, according to federal court documents.

Boston 25 has learned Torres has sued them both.

In March 2021, Torres sued the state-run Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital, alleging medical malpractice for misdiagnosis. That suit was dismissed several months later.

He also sued Fuller Hospital in Attleboro, Massachusetts, last May, alleging his constitutional rights were violated because he was a vegan and was denied almond milk. The suit was dismissed in June.

In both cases, he acted as his own attorney.

And for the first time, a fellow passenger who helped restrain Torres on Sunday’s flight said that the entire chaotic episode was over within seconds thanks to teamwork.

“I heard the guy getting louder and louder and I thought it was just an argument, but he started yelling and screaming and threatening people, threatening to kill them,” said Simik Ghookasian, who was sitting several rows behind Torres, in a telephone interview with AP.

Ghookasian said he saw the spoon and he was among five or six passengers who piled onto Torres and removed it from his grasp. It turned out to be the handle of a metal spoon, from which the bowl portion had been broken off, authorities said.

“That guy was really strong and was really resisting,” Ghookasian said. “We had a hard time holding him down. It was total teamwork.”

Ghookasian, who said he has first aid and counter-terrorism training, said he didn’t have time to be scared, he just reacted and used his instincts.

Torres faces federal charges and will be back in a courtroom on Thursday. If convicted, he could face life in prison.

Mass. man who had violent outburst on Boston-bound flight has history of mental health struggles

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