Two passengers who were arrested after trying to force their way onto a plane at Miami International Airport on Sunday and were caught on camera ‘hurling coffee into the face’ of a gate agent claim their drink simply fell.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said the passengers, Beatriz Rapoport de Campos Maia, 29, and her fiancé, Rafael Seirafe-Novaes, 41, were late for their flight to Mexico.
They got into a fight with airport staff which saw the hot coffee end up over all over one of the airline workers as they tried to push their way past to get on the plane and down the air bridge.
‘Nobody threw coffee. The coffee fell,’ de Campos Maia told CBS News after being released from jail in Miami on Monday, while also claiming she works as a doctor in Brazil.
‘The lady who said I threw it was a liar. It just dropped on the floor,’ she went on, pushing back against claims that she deliberately attacked airline staff.
Her fiancé, Seirafe-Novaes, was equally adamant. ‘No, no. I am not crazy. We would not throw coffee. Coffee, I drink,’ he said in broken English.
The couple explained that after completing two exhausting connections, they were desperate to make their final flight to Cancun, only to find themselves blocked from boarding.
Their frustration turned into a heated exchange and then into a scuffle with authorities, but according to them what happened was simply an accident blown out of proportion.
Beatriz Rapoport de Campos Maia, 29, and her fiancé, Rafael Seirafe-Novaes, 41, were arrested after hot coffee was ‘hurled’ at an American Airlines gate agent at Miami Airport
The pair were arrested after trying to force their way onto a plane at Miami Airport on Sunday
They couple got into a fight with airport staff and then ‘threw’ coffee onto one workers out of frustration while trying to get onto their flight to Mexico
As the situation escalated law enforcement intervened, leading to what the couple claims was an unnecessary use of force.
Video shared on social media showed cops tackling Seirafe-Novaes to the ground before they arrested him outside the gate and ultimately hauled him off to a waiting patrol car on the tarmac.
A second video saw de Campos Maia being grabbed by an officer and forced to sit down while the other cops arrested her partner.
Seirafe-Novaes showed visible scrapes on his knee, which he alleged were as a result of rough treatment by the police during his arrest.
‘I got this from the carpet from the polícia,’ he said, suggesting that authorities forcefully took him down even though he claims he was not resisting.
The arrest was caught on cell phone video with snippet showing law enforcement pinning Seirafe-Novaes to the ground.
The pair have been charged with battery and trespassing after allegedly ignoring ‘No Trespassing’ signs on the jet bridge while attempting to board their flight to the Mexican hotspot.
Seirafe-Novaes also faces a charge of resisting arrest without violence.
Beatriz Rapoport de Campos Maia, 29, said nobody threw the coffee cup and that it just fell
Rafael Seirafe-Novaes, 41, was equally adamant. ‘No, no. I am not crazy. We would not throw coffee. Coffee, I drink,’ he said in broken English
Beatriz Rapoport de Campos Maia, 29, claims to be a doctor back in her native Brazil
The couple revealed they are Advantage Platinum Pro members with American Airlines meaning they are among the airline’s most frequent flyers and valued customers.
Now, with battery and trespassing charges hanging over them, the pair say they are unsure whether they will still attempt to visit Cancun or if their travel plans are permanently derailed.
The dramatic scene at Miami International Airport left bystanders stunned, with passengers weighing in on the altercation.
One traveler, speaking to CBS News Miami remarked, ‘I think it shows a lack of respect for each other and people in general.’
Another passenger expressed disbelief stating, ‘Throwing coffee at somebody is not okay. You could burn someone, and even if it is not hot, it is still not okay to throw it at anyone.’
American Airlines also quickly responded to the couple’s behavior, issuing a statement reinforcing its zero-tolerance policy for violence.
‘Acts of violence are not tolerated by American Airlines, and we are committed to working closely with law enforcement in the investigation.’
