(CNN) — One of the two passengers who exited a Delta flight with their dog as the plane taxied onto a runway felt he needed to leave or he would lose control, according to statements during an arraignment Tuesday.
Antonio Murdock, 31, and Brianna Greco, 23, of Florida, each face charges of third-degree criminal trespass, according to Lenis Valens, a spokeswoman for Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Murdock was additionally charged with second-degree criminal mischief and second-degree reckless endangerment, Valens said.
During Murdock’s arraignment at New York City Criminal Court in Queens on Tuesday, authorities said a flight attendant who was on the plane during the incident told them she observed a male and female passenger walking through the plane.
According to the flight attendant’s statement, she allegedly heard the male passenger, identified by authorities as Murdock, essentially say, “I need to get off the plane, I don’t want to sit here, I’m gonna pop the door.”
Murdock then allegedly pushed past the flight attendant and opened a door marked “emergency exit,” which caused the attached slide to deploy and inflate. The man then picked up his dog and exited using the slide, according to the statement.
The female passenger, identified as Greco during the arraignment, allegedly followed Murdock down the slide. The pair and the dog then walked away from the plane onto the taxiway.
Authorities later apprehended them in a restricted taxiway area, as stated during the arraignment.
The flight attendant informed authorities that there was no situation on the plane that necessitated Murdock to open the emergency door, according to arraignment proceedings.
Jubril Oladiran, an attorney for Murdock, provided no comment to CNN when contacted. CNN is attempting to reach Greco for comment, and it is unclear if she has legal representation.
Casey Johnson, a Manhattan resident flying home to his family in Panama City Beach, Florida, told CNN he switched seats with the couple and their dog at the gate.
Johnson said the couple was pleasant and nothing appeared out of the ordinary to him during their interaction.
He called the man, identified by authorities as Murdock, “soft spoken.”
Murdock asked to switch rows with Johnson, he said, so they could have the last aisle of the plane to accommodate their dog.
The plane was mostly full except for middle seats left open per Delta’s Covid-19 policy. Minutes later, however, the couple moved again several rows forward, Johnson said.
“I do actually remember thinking, ‘Well, you guys just asked me to swap rows with you because you wanted to be in the back, and now all of a sudden you…
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