Hero who duct-taped violent Arizona realtor to plane seat speaks out after suspect fired from Tucson firm

TUCSON – An Arizona real estate agent was fired after an alleged violent, slur-fueled outburst aboard an American Airlines flight forced hero passengers to zip-tie and duct-tape him to his seat midair.

What we know:

The Sept. 3 flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Newark was forced to make an emergency landing in Baltimore after 67-year-old Tucson resident Layne Arthur Lundeen allegedly attacked a seatmate, bit rescuers and hurled racial and homophobic slurs. Maryland Transportation Authority Police arrested him upon landing, and his employer fired him shortly after.

‘Everything was fine, until it wasn’t’

The backstory:

Local store manager Richard Olenick was flying home from a work convention with his coworker, retired police officer Juan Mejia, when chaos broke out about two hours into the flight. Olenick said the cabin was quiet until the suspect suddenly began shouting obscenities and slurs at a flight attendant.

Passenger Richard Olenick helps keep an unruly traveler restrained with duct tape and zip ties aboard an American Airlines flight following an alleged violent mid-flight attack. (Courtesy Richard Olenick)

“Everything was fine, until it wasn’t,” Olenick told FOX 10.

The verbal abuse quickly turned physical when Lundeen allegedly grabbed the neck of the passenger sitting next to him and began strangling him. When a woman stepped in to stop the attack, Lundeen reportedly hit her, prompting Olenick and Mejia to rush down the aisle to intervene.

“When you’re on a plane, it’s different than when you are on the ground, you can’t retreat, there’s not a lot of options,” Olenick explained.

Mejia pulled the victim to safety while Olenick squeezed between the seats to hold the thrashing suspect down. As the man fought back aggressively, leaving visible bite marks on Mejia, flight attendants handed over zip ties and rolls of duct tape. To protect Lundeen’s airway, Mejia declined a crew member’s suggestion to tape his mouth shut, choosing instead to wrap duct tape around his chest, arms, hands and head to stop the biting and kicking.

Olenick, left covered in Lundeen’s blood from earlier cuts during the scuffle, said he was proud the team de-escalated the situation safely, adding, “I truly hope this gentleman gets the help that he needs.”

‘We do not tolerate violence’

What they’re saying:

Following news of the arrest, Long Realty — the agent’s real estate firm — fired him immediately. In a public statement, the company said the agent’s actions were “wholly inconsistent with the professionalism, integrity, compassion, and respect for others” that it expects from its team.

American Airlines commended the crew and passengers for taking swift action, stating that “the safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority, and we do not tolerate violence.” The FBI confirmed it is interviewing witnesses to determine whether federal charges will be filed alongside state offenses.