A Delta Air Lines co-pilot arrested just moments after landing at San Francisco International Airport Saturday for alleged child sex crimes has been identified.
Flight 2809 from Minneapolis to SFO touched down less than 10 minutes behind schedule, only slightly delayed by poor visibility due to fog in the Bay Area.
Before passengers were even able to deplane the Boeing 757, authorities with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Department and agents with Homeland Security Investigations stormed to the front of the aircraft and arrested 34-year-old Rustom Bhagwagar, the co-pilot, KTLA’s sister station KRON reported.
Passengers, many of whom captured cellphone footage law enforcement making their way to the front of the plane, described the incident as shocking.
“A group of people with badges, guns, and different agency vests/markings were pushing their way up through the aisle to the cockpit,” one passenger told the San Francisco Chronicle.
None of the flight crew were apparently aware of the ongoing investigation and impending arrest of their colleague, who is a resident of Florida.
The remaining pilot, who can be seen in an image posted by the travel outlet View from the Wing watching the incident unfold from inside the cockpit, reportedly said was he had no idea what was happening.
Sheriff’s investigators confirmed to KRON that Bhagwagar had been under investigation since April. A warrant for his arrest was issued and learned he was expected to land at SFO prior to Saturday’s arrest.
Federal agents, according to the outlet, were primarily on hand to provide sheriff’s investigators with access to the plane so that they could arrest the 34-year-old.
Bhagwagar was booked at the Martinez Jail on five counts of oral copulation with a child under 10 years old and is currently being held on $5 million bail.
While Delta declined to comment on the arrest over the weekend, a spokesperson for the airline said on Monday released a statement to KRON, saying:
“Delta has zero tolerance for unlawful conduct and will fully cooperate with law enforcement. We are appalled by reports of the charges related to the arrest and the individual in question has been suspended pending an investigation.”
Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing.