A Texas man accused of sneaking onto a packed Delta Air Lines flight without a ticket in Salt Lake City last weekend used a photo he took of a child passenger’s ticket to get access to the plane, authorities said.
Newly released surveillance video taken inside the Salt Lake City International Airport and obtained by local news outlets allegedly shows Wicliff Fleurizard, 26, taking photos of passengers’ boarding passes before scanning one of the photos to illegally board on March 17.
Fleurizard said he had been on standby, attempting to return home with a free “buddy pass” with Southwest Airlines following a ski trip in Park City, Utah, but was repeatedly told that planes were full, according to a copy of the federal criminal complaint made after Fleurizard’s arrest.
After getting through airport security with his pass, he snapped photos of other passengers’ tickets while waiting for a Delta flight heading to Austin, Texas. He ended up using a young girl’s ticket to board the flight.
The child whose ticket was used by Fleurizard experienced an issue while attempting to board, with the computer reporting her ticket as already scanned when she arrived at the gate. She was still able to board successfully.
After Fleurizard boarded, police said he hung out in the plane’s lavatories until everyone was seated. He then made his way to the back of the plane, where he was stopped by a flight attendant who tried to assist him and realized there were no empty seats available.
The taxiing plane returned to the gate; he was removed from the aircraft and met by law enforcement officers.
In an interview with police, Fleurizard “admitted he had made a mistake and was only trying to get home,” the complaint said.
Fleurizard was booked into Salt Lake County Metro Jail on a felony stowaway charge.
A public defender listed as representing Fleurizard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A representative for Delta said Monday it is cooperating with law enforcement and relevant federal agencies regarding an investigation into the incident. The representative declined further comment.