On Dec. 8, passengers aboard Volaris flight 3041 bound for Tijuana, Mexico, faced a terrifying ordeal when a man attempted to hijack the plane and divert it to San Diego. A few of the passengers recorded the incident on video, capturing the dramatic event as it unfolded.
On TikTok, user @oxnarddoggies, who was a passenger on the flight, shared a video showing a man in a gray hoodie wearing a ball cap standing up from his seat and talking to a flight attendant. A second man stood up, seemingly trying to placate the man in the hoodie by talking to him and holding his hand. The exchange among the people standing wasn’t heard in the video, but suddenly children started crying and other people stood up to stop the man from what he was trying to do. “Volaris flight 3041.. Thank god we made it home safe,” the Tiktoker captioned the video.
The Daily Mail uploaded a video from a closer angle, showing passengers grappling with the man to restrain him. He was only identified by his first name, Mario, and he was on the flight with his wife and two young children. Those who were trying to restrain Mario could be heard saying in Spanish, “Mario, calm down” and “Think about your children!” According to witnesses, about 30 minutes after the plane took off, Mario stood up and attempted to open an airplane door while demanding the crew to land the plane in San Diego instead of Tijuana. He also allegedly used a pen as a weapon and held it to a flight attendant’s neck.
One of the passengers who helped contain Mario said, “I was able to convince him to turn himself in peacefully, asking him to let go of the flight attendant and give it up for the sake of his wife and kids.” He added that Mario looked scared and was ordering the crew to land in San Diego for his safety. According to reports, Mario claimed that a family member had been kidnapped, and before the flight, he received threats and messages not to travel to Tijuana.
The plane made an emergency landing at Guadalajara airport where Mario was detained by authorities, and the flight continued to Tijuana. Volaris released a statement regarding the matter that, in part, read, “A passenger tried to divert the aircraft to the United States… All passengers, crew, and aircraft are safe. Volaris regrets the inconvenience this has caused.” The airline also added that they would be pursuing a legal case against Mario.
Mario’s attempted hijacking came just days after Luigi Mangione allegedly shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Thousands flocked to the TikTok video’s comments section, and clever-witted users were quick to the draw, with one commenting, “Not Mario and Luigi in the same week.” Another wrote, “Mario’s trying to free Luigi,” referring to the fact that Mangione is now in custody. One commenter jokingly referred to the incidents as a marketing ploy for Nintendo, saying, “Nintendo’s marketing strategy for Mario & Luigi Brothership has been weird…”
The Federal Attorney General’s Office in Mexico is actively investigating Mario, and additional information will be released once details are confirmed. Luigi remains in custody in the United States.