Man punches deaf, pregnant woman and her service dog on Frontier Airlines flight: Report

A man on a Frontier Airlines flight from Colorado Springs allegedly punched a pregnant woman in the stomach and her service dog over how much space the pooch was taking up on the plane, the New York Daily News reports.

Hazel Ramirez and Matthew Slivay, who are deaf, were on the flight to Orlando with their two kids and the dog. A nearby passenger, Timothy Manley, reportedly punched the Great Dane with his fist, which caused the dog to “yelp” and then hide under a seat, according to officials.

Manley was on the plane with his wife and son. The wife had complained about a dog allergy previously.

“The larger service animal took up more space than Timothy felt it deserved,” a police report states.

Ramirez and Silvay told Manley to leave the dog alone “as best they could.”

“Timothy responded by getting in Matthew’s face,” according to the police report. “At some point Hazel was punched in the stomach by Timothy and the two children were touched by Timothy.”

Ramirez is 20 weeks pregnant, according to KRDO-TV. During the fracas, a flight attendant telephoned police so they would be ready at the gate. Silvay reportedly tackled Manley in an effort to detain him.

When the plane landed, Silvay and Ramirez gave statements to police while Manley is said to have walked past officers. Ramirez has said she wants to see charges filed against Manley and is willing to testify in court.

In a written statement, Frontier Airlines said “the security of our passengers is our top priority.”

Everyone involved in the incident declined medical treatment.

[Feature Photo: Pixabay]