‘Ooo, That’s Assault!’: Unhinged Woman Kicks Gate Agent, Smashes Monitor After Being Left Off Standby Flight, Then Has the Audacity to Call for Cops
A woman was caught on camera launching a violent outburst at Orlando International Airport, where she assaulted Southwest Airlines employees and damaged airline equipment, according to local news reports.
The incident took place on August 14 at the Southwest Airlines concourse. Police later identified the woman as Selomit Velez-Rodriguez. Video footage shows her yelling profanities at gate agents, physically attacking an employee, and smashing computer equipment at the counter.
In the video, Velez-Rodriguez is heard expressing anger over missing multiple flights. At one point, she kicks a male staff member, prompting gasps from onlookers — one of whom can be heard saying, “Ooo, that’s assault.” She repeatedly shouts, “I need to go and bury my brother!” as she slams items on the counter.
Eyewitnesses say the situation escalated when Velez-Rodriguez attempted to access the gate after it had already closed, upset about not being added to the standby list for three separate flights.
“She tried to get in through the gate after it closed, and they asked her to stop,” one passenger told Storyful.
According to witnesses, Velez-Rodriguez continued to yell at airline staff and fellow passengers, at one point demanding that someone call the police. She returned to the gate counter, knocking over a computer monitor and continuing her tirade.
Orlando Police officers responded to the scene around 9:30 p.m. A police spokesperson confirmed that Velez-Rodriguez “attempted to disrupt the boarding process of a flight, struck an airline employee, and damaged a computer monitor and keyboard valued at more than $1,000.”
When officers attempted to remove her from the terminal, she tried to pull away but did not physically resist arrest. She was taken into custody and charged with battery, criminal mischief, and resisting an officer without violence.
Her bond was set at $5,000. According to WOFL, she has since been released from jail and allowed to return to her home in Illinois.