Flight Attendant: I Skipped His Drink Order, He Slapped My Butt

A skipped drink order on a Delta flight has ended with a midair detour to Atlanta and an arrest. A federal complaint says 32-year-old Indianapolis resident Cody James Maluck is charged with interfering with flight crew after a May 9 flight from Florida's Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles was diverted so police could remove him. The flight attendant, identified as "PLL," told authorities she bypassed Maluck because he appeared to be asleep, then felt "a slap to her buttocks area" hard enough to jolt her forward, per the Independent. PLL said Maluck raised his hands and protested that he hadn't done anything; another attendant, however, reported seeing her colleague's body lurch forward as if she'd been struck.

Questioned by a federal air marshal, Maluck allegedly admitted touching the attendant's backside but denied hitting her with that level of force, saying he was just trying to get her attention and meant no disrespect. The marshal told him the behavior was inappropriate, per the complaint. The plane diverted to Atlanta, where Maluck was arrested and ordered detained pending trial. He was indicted June 3 on the federal assault charge, which carries a potential 20-year sentence. Delta said it has "zero tolerance" for "disruptive or unruly" conduct. Maluck's court-appointed attorney declined to comment.