A northern Arizona says he was minding his own business when American Airlines accused him of burglarizing a store.
That man is now looking to hold the airline accountable for its actions.
Michael Lowe of Flagstaff, Ariz., is suing American Airlines after spending 17 days in a New Mexico jail for a crime that he had no part of committing.
On May 12, 2020, Lowe was on American Flight 2248 to Reno -- the same flight as a man who was captured on surveillance burglarizing a duty free kiosk near Gate D25.
American reported the incident to DFW Airport Police, and it was instructed to send over the passenger manifest.
"American Airlines returned the search warrant the same day with one name and one name only," says Lowe's attorney, Scott Palmer, "and that being Michael Lowe as the suspect.
"I don't understand how or why they came to that conclusion," Palmer continued, "but that conclusion was wholly and totally incorrect and wrong."
Lowe was arrested on the outstanding warrant while visiting friends in New Mexico in July of 2021 -- more than a year later.
While in jail, he had no idea why he was being held.
"Although he protested that they had the wrong person and that he was innocent and that this has got to be a mistake, it all fell on deaf ears."
After Tarrant County failed to pick him up, Lowe was released from the Quay County, New Mexico, jail 17 days later.
Palmer reached a detective with DFW Airport Police, and he had him compare Lowe's photo to the surveillance photo of the suspect.
"It was immediately apparent that he looked nothing like the suspect that was seen on the video and the pictures that they had of the suspect who did the actual crime," Palmer says.
Thus, the charges were dropped.
However, Lowe, who works as a tour guide in the Grand Canyon, says the experience has scarred him and caused him significant economic hardships, including the loss of work.
"Mr. Lowe had one big trip planned to Alaska with a great client of his that had to get scuttled," says Palmer, "and he lost the profits of that."
KRLD has reached out to American Airlines for comment and is waiting to hear back.
That man is now looking to hold the airline accountable for its actions.
Michael Lowe of Flagstaff, Ariz., is suing American Airlines after spending 17 days in a New Mexico jail for a crime that he had no part of committing.
On May 12, 2020, Lowe was on American Flight 2248 to Reno -- the same flight as a man who was captured on surveillance burglarizing a duty free kiosk near Gate D25.
American reported the incident to DFW Airport Police, and it was instructed to send over the passenger manifest.
"American Airlines returned the search warrant the same day with one name and one name only," says Lowe's attorney, Scott Palmer, "and that being Michael Lowe as the suspect.
"I don't understand how or why they came to that conclusion," Palmer continued, "but that conclusion was wholly and totally incorrect and wrong."
Lowe was arrested on the outstanding warrant while visiting friends in New Mexico in July of 2021 -- more than a year later.
While in jail, he had no idea why he was being held.
"Although he protested that they had the wrong person and that he was innocent and that this has got to be a mistake, it all fell on deaf ears."
After Tarrant County failed to pick him up, Lowe was released from the Quay County, New Mexico, jail 17 days later.
Palmer reached a detective with DFW Airport Police, and he had him compare Lowe's photo to the surveillance photo of the suspect.
"It was immediately apparent that he looked nothing like the suspect that was seen on the video and the pictures that they had of the suspect who did the actual crime," Palmer says.
Thus, the charges were dropped.
However, Lowe, who works as a tour guide in the Grand Canyon, says the experience has scarred him and caused him significant economic hardships, including the loss of work.
"Mr. Lowe had one big trip planned to Alaska with a great client of his that had to get scuttled," says Palmer, "and he lost the profits of that."
KRLD has reached out to American Airlines for comment and is waiting to hear back.
