NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A New Jersey man allegedly attacked two people aboard a Miami-bound plane this week, forcing it to land mid-flight, authorities said.
John Yurkovich Jr., 45, was arrested after he became “unruly and assaulted multiple people” aboard Flight 728 on Wednesday morning, according to a criminal complaint obtained by NJ.com.
The flight from Newark Liberty International Airport was diverted to South Carolina mid-flight after the pilot declared a Level 3 emergency, authorities said.
Yurkovich “was acting erratic and appeared to be off-balanced” and at one point became enraged at another passenger, according to the complaint.
He allegedly punched that passenger in the head and face, and when other passengers tried to intervene, one of them was punched and suffered a broken nose, the complaint said.
Yurkovich was ultimately restrained with zip-ties, according to the report. When the plane landed in Charleston, police allegedly found 2 grams of methamphetamine on him.
Yurkovich faces drug charges, as well as federal charges of assault and criminal acts on an aircraft, the report said.
“This entire incident is very uncharacteristic of John. He is a loving husband and father and successful businessman,” Yurkovich’s attorney, Rose Mary Parham, told the Raleigh News & Observer in a statement.