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Airline passenger charged for allegedly threatening pilot, flight attendants: 'I will really break your jaw!'

11 February 2025 at 09:52

A New Jersey airline passenger allegedly told a flight attendant "I will really break your f----- jaw n----!" before threatening a pilot "six inches from his face" after the plane he was traveling on landed in Newark, federal prosecutors say.Β 

Luis Vaquero, 27, of Passaic County is now facing a federal charge following the "harrowing flight" Sunday from Miami,Β according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey.Β 

Federal prosecutors say the alleged passenger meltdown began shortly after takeoff when VaqueroΒ started "threatening and harassing various passengers, including making threats of physical violence toward a disabled minor and mocking a group of Jewish passengers.Β 

"Vaquero also threatened a flight crew member who declined to serve Vaquero alcohol after the beverage service window closed, telling her, "You better watch out, s--- is gonna happen to you," the attorney’s office said.Β 

FLIGHT PASSENGER β€˜BULLIED’ AFTER REFUSING TO SWAP WITH SEAT SQUATTER, TRIGGERS REACTIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIAΒ 

"Upon landing at Newark Liberty International Airport, flight attendants alerted law enforcement. After hearing the announcement that the airplane was awaiting the arrival of law enforcement, Vaquero forced his way to the front of the plane and began banging on the flight deck door, demanding, "I need the pilot to come outside!" federal prosecutors said.Β 

"When a flight attendant attempted to intervene, Vaquero yelled, β€˜I will really break your f----- jaw n----!’ Vaquero also yelled, β€˜I wanna see that f----- captain! Come outside you b---- a-- n-----!’ When the captain emerged, Vaquero continued to make threats to the captain while six inches from his face until law enforcement intervened," they added.Β 

JET OWNED BY MOTLEY CRUE’S VINCE NEIL INVOLVED IN FATAL PLANE CRASH AT SCOTTSDALE AIRPORT IN ARIZONAΒ 

Vaquero was charged with one count of interference with flight crew members and attendants by assault or intimidation.Β 

He made an initial court appearance Monday before being released. If convicted, Vaquero faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.Β 

"Over the course of a 3-hour flight, we allege Vaquero lost his temper and physically harassed not only the crew and captain, but passengers, making threats of physical violence toward a disabled minor and mocking a group of Jewish passengers," Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence Reilly said in a statement.Β 

"It all culminated in a terrifying attack and attempted breach of the flight deck when witnesses say he banged on the cockpit door and confronted the pilot," Reilly added. "The harrowing flight and other similar incidents onboard airplanes recently are creating tension and fear for fliers and crew members. FBI Newark has a warning for those who think it may not be a big deal -- they're breaking federal law, and they will be brought to justice."Β 

Philadelphia plane crash investigators recover medical jet's black box

3 February 2025 at 07:21

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said they have recovered the black box from the deadly Jan. 31 Learjet 55 plane crash in Philadelphia.

The announcement, made on Sunday, said investigators located the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) eight feet below the site of the initial impact.Β 

Investigators also found the aircraft's enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS), which the NTSB said "could also contain flight data."

"Both components will be sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington, DC for evaluation," a statement said. "NTSB investigators have recovered both engines. Wreckage recovery continues tomorrow and all of the wreckage will be sent to a secure location in Delaware for further examination."

EERIE PHOTOS SHOW INTERIOR OF DOOMED MEDEVAC JET THAT CRASHED IN PHILADELPHIA

Flight data recorders and CVRs are tools that help investigators reconstruct the events that led up to a plane crash. They are orange to make them easier to find in wreckage, and are usually installed in a plane's tail section, which is considered the most survivable part of the aircraft, according to the NTSB's website.

The Jet Rescue Air Ambulance crash that took place near the Roosevelt Mall killed at least seven people and injured 22 others.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE VICTIMS OF THE PHILADELPHIA CRASH

Four crew members and two passengers – a pediatric patient and her mother – were on the plane that was headed to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, the company said. They were all Mexican nationals.

A person in a car was the seventh fatal victim of the fiery crash.

Meanwhile, 38-year-old Jason Rodriguez – who was in the area at the time of the crash – remains missing, according to FOX 29. His family says he was shopping when they last heard from him.

Fox News' Andrea Margolis, Greg Wehner and the Associated Press contributed to this report.Β 

NTSB releases video of responders searching through eerie site of fatal Philadelphia Learjet crash

2 February 2025 at 17:57

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently released video of officials combing through the debris and destruction left after the fatal Jan. 31 plane crash in Philadelphia, which killed at least seven people and injured 22 others.

The footage, which was shot on Sunday, showed the haunting aftermath of the Learjet 55 crash. The eerily-empty streets were strewn with debris, yellow tape and abandoned vehicles, as well as construction barriers guarding the scene of the crash.

One official stood in a crater-sized hole to inspect the rubble. Drone footage also shows the abandoned cars with broken windows covered in ash several yards away from the crater.

On Sunday, the NTSB announced that it had recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from the scene, which was found eight feet below the site of the initial impact. Investigators also found the aircraft's enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS), which the NTSB says "could also contain flight data."

KAZAKHSTAN PLANE CRASH SURVIVORS SAY THEY HEARD BANGS BEFORE AIRCRAFT WENT DOWN; PUTIN ISSUES STATEMENT

"Both components will be sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorders Laboratory in Washington, DC for evaluation," the statement added. Β "NTSB investigators have recovered both engines. Wreckage recovery continues tomorrow and all of the wreckage will be sent to a secure location in Delaware for further examination."

The crash, which involved a medevac jet, took place near the Roosevelt Mall at around 6:30 p.m. on Friday evening. The aircraft was departing from Northeast Philadelphia Airport at the time, en route to Missouri for a fuel stop and eventually Mexico.

Jet Air Ambulance spokesperson Shai Gold told Fox News Digital that a passenger on the flight was a Mexican citizen who was in the U.S. for life-saving medical treatment. The young girl was headed home at the time with her mother.

In total, six people were on the plane, including four crew members. On Sunday, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said that at least 22 people were injured, and the seventh fatal victim was in a car at the time of the crash.

"Five of the victims remain hospitalized currently, and three of them are in critical condition," the mayor said at the press conference. "We have not, out of respect for their families and their loved ones, shared the names of any of those who have been impacted. Please continue to lift them, their families and loved ones up in prayer."

Fires erupted immediately after the plane crash, but Philadelphia fire officials eventually got the flames under control. Gold told Fox News Digital that the aircraft was "loaded with jet fuel that's highly flammable."

STAFFING AT REAGAN WASHINGTON NATIONAL AIRPORT AIR CONTROL TOWER WAS 'NOT NORMAL' ON NIGHT OF COLLISION: FAA

"There is no indication that anybody survived, and by the debris field, I would be pleasantly surprised to learn otherwise," Gold explained at the time.

The Jet Air Ambulance spokesperson added that the pilot aboard the Learjet was "a very seasoned pilot," and that the co-pilot was also experienced.

"They know the job, and they do it many times," Gold added. "We fly 600 to 700 missions a year. We are very busy, very active, and we keep top-notch staff."

On Sunday, the NTSB announced that it had recovered the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from the scene, which was found eight feet below the site of the initial impact. Investigators also found the aircraft's enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS), which the NTSB says "could also contain flight data."

Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner, Alexandra Koch and Lorraine Taylor contributed to this report.

Groundhog Day: Punxsutawney Phil makes annual winter weather prediction

2 February 2025 at 06:41

Pennsylvania's "official state meteorologist" Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Sunday morning, predicting six more weeks of winter.

Sunday's joyous occasion was the 138th prognostication in Punxsutawney, located in Jefferson County. The festivities kicked off at 6 a.m. in a cold 20 degrees, and Phil made his appearance to the eager crowd at 7:22 a.m. It included singing, dancing, live music and fireworks to amp up the crowd ahead of Phil's prediction.Β 

Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Pa., spoke early on during the annual festivities at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa., rebuffing People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' (PETA) demands to replace the beloved animal with something vegan.

"There's some folks out there who said we should take this great tradition that stretches all the way back to the 1880s and get rid of Phil and replace him with a cake," Shapiro said in front of thousands of people. "If anybody comes for Phil, they're gonna have to go through me and all of you. Am I right?"

PENNSYLVANIA GOV REBUFFS PETA'S DEMANDS ON PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL: 'COME AND TAKE IT'

Shapiro added that last year he declared Phil the "official state meteorologist" and that the groundhog is "never wrong about the weather." He teased making Groundhog Day an official state holiday.

The governor has been on-hand for every Groundhog Day ceremony in Punxsutawney since taking office in 2023.

GROUNDHOG DAY'S HISTORY, MEANING AND HOW THE SUPERSTITIOUS TRADITION MADE ITS WAY TO THE US

PETA President Ingrid Newkirk told the New York Post that Phil is denied the traditional lifestyle of a groundhog "for a tired old gimmick."

While Groundhog Day is considered a national holiday and has even been popularized in the classic 1993 Bill Murray film of the same name, the day β€” and Phil himself β€” hold a special place in many Pennsylvanians' hearts.

The annual weather prediction ceremony is hosted by the Groundhog Club Inner Circle, a group of local dignitaries who care for Punxsutawney Phil and help arrange special festivities.Β 

Even though Punxsutawney Phil's weather prediction is the one people gather to see, the groundhog's prediction is made ahead of the big moment by the group on Gobbler's Knob, a location very close to Punxsutawney, just around 65 miles away from Pittsburgh.

In addition to the large ceremony in western PA, throughout the rest of the Commonwealth, many historically Pennsylvania German communities are home to a "Grundsau Lodsch" or Groundhog Lodge.Β 

Fox News' Carles Creitz and Ashlyn Messier contributed to this report.

Earthquake off coast of Maine shakes Northeast

27 January 2025 at 10:52

A magnitude 3.8 earthquake off the coast of Maine shook parts of the Northeast on Monday morning, with residents as far away as Boston feeling the rumble, officials said.

The quake occurred about 6.5 miles southeast of York, Maine, just before 10:30 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which initially reported the magnitude as 4.1 before adjusting the temblor to 3.8.

"Today's M3.8 near Bar Harbor, Maine, reminds us that earthquakes are unusual but not unheard of along the Atlantic Seaboard," USGS wrote on X.

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Caribou, Maine, said there was no threat of a tsunami.

TIPS FOR SURVIVING AN EARTHQUAKE AND PREPARING IN ADVANCE

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

Residents in the Northeast reported feeling the surprise shock on social media.

"Earthquake! Did anyone else feel it?? I'm in Southern Maine and the whole house shook like a vehicle ran into it," one user wrote on X.

TRUMP'S VISIT TO SMALL-TOWN NORTH CAROLINA BRINGS HOPE TO HURRICANE SURVIVORS WHO LOST EVERYTHING

"Pretty decent jolt here. Big WTF moment," the user wrote in a second post. "I rushed to the windows to see if something hit the house."

NWS Boston, about 65 miles south of York, asked residents if they felt the rumble.

Other residents in New Hampshire and Rhode Island also reported the rattle.

USGS said that New England, and as far south as Long Island, N.Y., have felt small earthquakes and suffered damage from infrequent larger ones since colonial times.

"Moderately damaging earthquakes strike somewhere in the region every few decades, and smaller earthquakes are felt roughly twice a year," USGS said. "The Boston area was damaged three times within 28 years in the middle 1700's, and New York City was damaged in 1737 and 1884."

FBI arrests suspect in killing of Vermont Border Patrol agent

24 January 2025 at 11:48

The FBI announced the arrest of a suspect Friday in the killing of U.S. Border Patrol Agent David "Chris" Maland near the Vermont-Canada border.Β 

Washington state resident Teresa Youngblut, 21, was taken into custody following the fatal shooting on Monday, according to the FBI’s office in Albany, N.Y.Β 

"The United States Attorney’s Office District of Vermont has charged Youngblut with assault on a federal law enforcement officer," it said. "Our hearts remain with our partners at U.S. Border Patrol Swanton Sector as they mourn this tremendous loss."Β 

Maland, 44, was struck by gunfire during a traffic stop on Interstate 91 between Newport and Orleans, Vermont.Β 

VERMONT BORDER AGENT ALLEGEDLY KILLED BY GERMAN NATIONAL WORKED IN PENTAGON DURING 9/11, FAMILY SAYS

Maland, a Minnesota native and U.S. Air Force veteran, worked as a Border Patrol agent at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Newport Station. He spent nine years in the military and 15 working for the federal government.Β 

He was also a K-9 handler and previously served as a Border Patrol agent in Texas near the southern border, Maland's family told the Associated Press.Β 

"On January 20, 2025, at approximately 3:00 pm, an on-duty, uniformed United States Border Patrol (USBP) Agent initiated a stop of a blue 2015 Toyota Prius Hatchback with [a] North Carolina license plate... to conduct an immigration inspection as it was driving southbound on Interstate 91 in Coventry, Vermont," read an FBI criminal complaint obtained by Fox News.Β 

"The registered owner of the vehicle, Felix Baukholt, a citizen of Germany, appeared to have an expired visa in a Department of Homeland Security database. Youngblut was driving the Prius, and Baukholt was the lone passenger in the Prius," it continued. Β 

"Between approximately 3:00 pm and 3:15 pm, agents reported gunshots at the scene," the affidavit said. "Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Cameron Thompson was notified of the incident and responded to the scene of the stop, arriving at approximately 3:35 pm. He spoke with two of the Border Patrol Agents involved in the incident. They described that both Baukholt andΒ YoungblutΒ possessed firearms and that Youngblut drew and fired a handgun toward at least one of the uniformed Border Patrol Agents without warning when outside the driver's side of the Prius."Β 

GERMAN NATIONAL SUSPECT IDENTIFIED IN KILLING OF US BORDER PATROL AGENT IN VERMONT

"Baukholt then attempted to draw a firearm. At least one Border Patrol Agent fired at Youngblut and Baukholt with his service weapon," the affidavit also said. "The exchange of gunfire resulted in Border Patrol Agent Maland, Youngblut, and Baukholt all sustaining gunshot wounds. Baukholt was declared deceased at the scene as a result of his injuries."Β 

Maland also died after being taken to a local hospital for emergency care, while Youngblut is currently receiving care at a facility in New Hampshire, according to the affidavit.Β 

A Vermont State Police Crime Scene Search Team that investigated the area following the gunfire found "two packets of suspected cell phones wrapped in what appeared to be aluminum foil that were left behind the USBP Tahoe after the Bomb Squad clearance," investigators say.

A search of the Prius later uncovered "various pieces [of] tactical gear-including a ballistic helmet, night-vision-goggle monocular, a tactical belt with holster, and a magazine loaded with cartridges; two full-face respirators; 48 rounds of .380-caliber jacketed hollow point ammunition; a package of shooting range targets (some of which were used); two handheld two-way radios; approximately a dozen electronic devices and multiple removable electronic storage devices," among other items, the affidavit added.

BORDER PATROL AGENT KILLED IN VERMONT IDENTIFIED

The FBI also said "Investigators had been performing periodic surveillance of Baukholt and Youngblut since on or about Tuesday, January 14, 2025.

"A concerned citizen – an employee of a hotel in Lyndonville, Vermont – contacted law enforcement after a male and a female had checked into the hotel to report concerns about them, including that they appeared to be dressed in all-black tactical style clothing with protective equipment, with the woman, later identified as Youngblut, carrying an apparent firearm in an exposed-carry holster," according to the affidavit.Β 

"Investigators with VSP and Homeland Security Investigations attempted to initiate a consensual conversation with Baukholt and Youngblut, but they declined to have an extended conversation, claiming that they were in the vicinity to look at purchasing property," it said.

It is unclear when Youngblut will make her first court appearance.

Fox News’ Audrey Conklin and the Associated Press contributed to this report.Β 

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