Julio Alvarez Lopez, a man granted legal permanent resident status, has pleaded guilty to assaulting another passenger with a homemade weapon during a flight from Seattle, Washington, to Las Vegas, Nevada.
According to court documents, the incident occurred on January 24, 2024, when Lopez used a dangerous homemade weapon, consisting of three pens bound together with hair bands, to punch, hit, and stab the victim. The victim suffered injuries to the body and eye area, which required stitches. Lopez was restrained for the remainder of the flight after the attack.
Upon landing at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Lopez was taken into custody. He admitted to authorities that he armed himself, selected the victim because the victim had been looking at him in a harassing way, and attempted to murder the victim by shoving the weapon into the victim’s brain.
Lopez pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. His sentencing is scheduled for September 22, 2026, where a federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case was investigated by the FBI, Federal Air Marshal Service, and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.