Pilot accused of kid intercourse crimes is taken from cockpit minutes after flight lands in California

Simply 10 minutes after a Delta aircraft landed at San Francisco Worldwide Airport, regulation enforcement and federal brokers entered the cockpit and apprehended a pilot, authorities say.

The arrest Saturday left passengers agape.

The officers and brokers “have been pushing their approach up by way of the aisle” and into the cockpit, the place they cuffed the co-pilot earlier than main him away, one passenger advised the San Francisco Chronicle.

Rustom Bhagwagar, a 34-year-old Florida resident, was arrested on suspicion of sexual crimes in opposition to a minor.

Contra Costa County sheriff’s deputies and Division of Homeland Safety brokers apprehended Bhagwagar about 9:35 p.m. Saturday after the Delta Air Strains flight from Minneapolis landed at SFO, based on a sheriff’s information launch.

Authorities mentioned Bhagwagar was arrested and booked into the Martinez Detention Facility on 5 counts of oral copulation with a toddler below the age of 10. His bail was set at $5 million.

The investigation into Bhagwagar started months in the past after authorities obtained studies that he had allegedly dedicated a sexual crime in opposition to a toddler, based on the discharge. Contra Costa deputies found that Bhagwagar was a pilot and — with help from Homeland Safety, which didn’t participate within the investigation — apprehended him as soon as the flight concluded.

A spokesperson from Delta Air Strains mentioned in a press release to The Instances that it could cooperate with authorities and has “zero tolerance” for the alleged illegal conduct.

Deputies mentioned the investigation was persevering with. Anybody with info is urged to contact the sheriff’s Investigations Division at (925) 313-2600 or at (866) 846-3592 for nameless suggestions.