Video shows woman jump over ticket counter during meltdown at Miami International Airport

MIAMI – Video shows a woman jumping over an American Airlines ticket counter Sunday when she wasn’t allowed to board her flight to California at Miami International Airport.

Brittney Mohammadi, the woman seen jumping the counter, and Manuel Arteaga were denied boarding Flight 1061 with service from MIA to Los Angeles International Airport after attempting to board the aircraft without shoes, airline spokeswoman Laura Masvidal said in a statement Tuesday.

“After being informed of our policy, the customers became irate and one attempted to strike an American team member at the gate,” Masvidal said. “Law enforcement was requested.”

Miami-Dade Police Department officers said Mohammadi, 23, was shouting and had slurred speech when they arrived at the terminal. Arteaga, 26, held onto her when officers moved to arrest her because she wouldn’t calm down, police said.

Officers arrested Mohammadi, of Huntington Beach, Calif., and Arteaga, of Hawaiian Gardens, Calif., and instead of flying to LAX they ended up riding in a police car to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County.

Mohammadi is facing charges of disorderly intoxication and resisting an officer without violence. Arteaga is facing charges of disorderly intoxication, battery on a police officer, resisting arrest with violence and resisting arrest without violence.


About the Authors:

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.

Alexis Frazier joined the Local 10 family in April 2020. The Fort Lauderdale native came to WPLG from the ABC affiliate in Columbia, S.C., WOLO-TV. She's glad to be back in South Florida.