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A Delta Air Lines pilot was arrested in the cockpit immediately after landing a flight at San Francisco International Airport and is now facing 24 felony counts related to the sexual abuse of a child, authorities in Contra Costa County, California, announced on Tuesday, The New York Times reported yesterday.
The pilot, 34-year-old Rustom Bhagwagar, was taken into custody by approximately 10 law enforcement officers who boarded the plane in front of passengers and crew. The arrest occurred Saturday night just after Delta Flight 2809 arrived from Minneapolis at around 9:35 p.m.
A female co-defendant, 45-year-old Jennifer Powell, was also charged with 24 felony counts in a related complaint, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office. Both individuals are being held at the Martinez Detention Facility.
According to investigators, the abuse took place in Contra Costa County. Detectives with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office had been investigating Bhagwagar since April and arrested him with support from Homeland Security Investigations after securing a warrant.
In a statement, the District Attorney said, “Our office stands firmly committed to protecting children and holding those who cause harm accountable. Every child deserves to feel safe, protected and heard when an injustice like this occurs.”
Bhagwagar and Powell appeared in court on Wednesday, where their defense attorneys requested additional time to review the charges and counsel their clients before entering a plea. Both are scheduled for arraignment on August 19 in Martinez, California. The charges each carry potential sentences of 15 years to life in state prison.
A passenger told The San Francisco Chronicle that individuals wearing “badges, guns and different agency vests/markings” quickly walked up the aisle, entered the cockpit, and escorted one of the pilots away in handcuffs. A short video published by aviation blog View From the Wing shows several agents exiting the cockpit with badges visible.
Delta Air Lines issued a statement following the arrest, saying it was “appalled by reports of the charges related to the arrest” and confirmed that the pilot had been suspended pending further investigation. “Delta has zero tolerance for unlawful conduct,” the company said.
The arrest follows another high-profile airline-related abuse case. Just last week, a former American Airlines flight attendant, Estes Carter Thompson III of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced to more than 18 years in prison for secretly filming girls in the lavatory on commercial flights in 2023.
