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LOS ANGELES, California – Federal officers arrested a drunken Filipino passenger aboard a US-bound Philippine Airlines flight for allegedly trying to kiss a female flight attendant and attacking a male a crew member who came to her aid.
A California-based security guard, 53-year-old Edgar Nonga was returning from the Philippines with his parents when the disturbance involving him occurred.
Nonga admitted having had four drinks at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport lounge in Manila before boarding PAL flight 112 for Los Angeles. He allegedly helped himself to liquor he found in the plane’s galley.
A witness said an attendant refused to serve Nonga another drink, and he began cursing at attendants in Tagalog and threatened to kill one of them. He then reportedly tried to kiss a female attendant.
A male flight attendant came to his colleague’s aid, at which point Nonga began punching the attendant in the head and body. Nonga reportedly held keys in his knuckles as a weapon during the attack.
Hi parents apologized for his behavior after he was restrained, but he began hitting the male attendant again. Other crew members and passengers were able to restrain him.
He was arrested upon landing in Los Angeles on Sunday morning and is facing federal charges for disrupting a flight crew. He could be sent to prison on a 20-year sentence.
Nonga, who is currently free on $10,000 bail, is scheduled to appear in federal court on April 1. He claims to have had no history of being diagnosed with any mental illness and was honorably discharged from the US Navy. He was reportedly arrested for drunk driving in 2010.