A man was arrested and charged with sexual assault for groping another man who was sleeping next to him on a JetBlue flight.
Othniel Polanco, 29, was caught sexually assaulting an 18-year-old male passenger on a JetBlue flight. Polanco was sitting in aisle 11 of JetBlue Flight No. 706 on July 9 when he pulled the sneak attack. The victim was sleeping and leaning over the tray table when Polanco reached inside his shorts around the knee area, according to the New York Daily News.
Another passenger sitting two seats away witnessed Polanco groping the young man's genitals even though he tried to cover his actions with a jacket.
At first, Polanco claimed that he had fallen asleep and he wasn't aware that his hand was near the victim's crotch. However he later said he "crossed a boundary" in a complaint filed in Brooklyn Federal Court, according to the NY Daily News.
When the victim realized that he was being assaulted, he reportedly punched Polanco in the face. Flight attendants tried to calm the victim down before they realized what happened. When the plane landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Polanco was arrested by Port Authority police.
Polanco was charged for the incident, but he was released on $100,000 bail on Monday. However, under the bail conditions, he must wear an electronic ankle bracelet and be confined to his parents' house. Polanco's brothers refused to sign the bond to free him, but his parents and uncle stepped in to help.
Polanco must also undergo a mental health evaluation as approved by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Trowel and Polanco's lawyer.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
