MSP: ‘Potential criminal act’ on Boston flight involved juvenile, flight attendant, cell phone

BOSTON — State Police at Logan Airport are providing additional details about a “potential criminal act” on board an American Airlines plane that landed in Boston over the weekend.

American Airlines Flight #1441 from Charlotte, North Carolina, landed around 10 a.m. on Saturday.

On Monday, Troop F, which has jurisdiction at Logan Airport, told Boston 25′s sister station, WSOC-TV in Charlotte, that troopers from their barracks were the first to respond, and that the incident involved a ‘juvenile, a flight attendant, and a cell phone.”

Boston 25 News reached out directly to Troop F, and the headquarters of the Massachusetts several times on Monday about this investigation. State Police have referred Boston 25 to the FBI, which has taken over the investigation of the incident because it happened while the plane was in flight.

The Boston office of the FBI had no further comment Monday about the investigation when contacted by Boston 25. Over the weekend, the FBI said it responded to the incident but did not provide any other details.

Boston 25 News also spoke on Monday with a first-class passenger on board Flight 1441. The passenger, who did not want his name used publicly, shared a copy of his boarding pass for that flight to Boston.

The passenger said he saw a teenage girl try to use the bathroom in the first-class section but was stopped by a male flight attendant from going into the bathroom immediately.

“When she was about to go the bathroom he stopped her and said, ‘Hey hold on just a second, we’re about to start collecting trash so I am going to wash my hands.’

The passenger said the girl went into the bathroom after the flight attendant finished.

The first-class passenger told Boston 25 that he then saw the girl’s mother come up to first class and stop another passenger from entering the bathroom.

“The mom stopped that passenger from going to the bathroom and said ‘Wait, don’t go in there,” according to the passenger Boston 25 spoke with.

Then, after the mom returned to the coach section, he asked the other passenger what the mom had said to her.

“That was who told me it was a camera in the bathroom,” said the passenger Boston 25 spoke with.

The passenger told Boston 25 that when the flight landed in Boston, they were met by state police.

“Police came on, and then staff from the airline came on and 3 or 4 different people checked the bathroom,” he said.

The passenger said the girl and her family were the first to get off the plane, with the police.

“After 3 or 4 different people checked the bathroom, they took the male flight attendant off, and that’s when they let us off.”

Boston 25 has reached out to the State Police and the FBI to ask about the information shared by the passenger.

Boston 25 also reached out to American Airlines again on Monday. They shared the same statement provided over the weekend.

“We take this matter very seriously and are fully cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation, as safety and security are our highest priorities,” said an American Airlines spokesperson.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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