Rowdy airline passenger indicted in federal court

ANCHORAGE (AP) -- A woman who assaulted two members of a Continental Airlines flight crew earlier this month has been indicted by a federal grand jury.

Norma Linda Lozano was indicted on one felony count of interfering with a flight crew. The indictment was returned Thursday, said assistant U.S. attorney Steve Skrocki.

Lozano's behavior aboard a Seattle-bound flight on July 4 forced the airliner to return to Anchorage, where she was taken into custody. She remains jailed without bail.

According to an affidavit by FBI agent Penny Hoback, the trouble started about an hour out of Anchorage when Lozano got mad at her fiance, Oscar Mediano, and began using loud profanities.

When the head flight attendant suggested her language was inappropriate, Lozano threw a full can of beer at the attendant, hitting her in the chest, according to the charging document. She then lunged at the attendant, grabbed her hair and tried to punch her, the charge says.

Other attendants and passengers joined the fray, including the first officer, who was bitten on the forearm and lost his glasses after Lozano punched him in the face several times, says Hoback's affidavit.

Lozano is scheduled to be arraigned Monday. Her lawyer, Kevin McCoy, said she will plead not guilty.