Video has surfaced of a woman identified as 45-year-old Selomit Velez-Rodriguez from Illinois lashing out at airport staff and destroying property. The footage was captured by traveller Peyton Turbeville at the Orlando International Airport, where Velez-Rodriguez erupted in anger at the Southwest Airlines concourse several days ago.
In the video, Velez-Rodriguez is dressed in shorts paired with a red shirt and is carrying a backpack. She can be seen shouting profanities at airline employees. At one point, she is heard yelling that she was simply trying to reach her brother’s burial.
The situation escalated when she seemingly kicked a Southwest employee. Her action ignited gasps from onlookers, including one bystander who shockingly expressed, “Oh, that’s assault.”
Her anger did not stop there, as the video continues to show her slamming a desk monitor several times while shouting about missed flights. “Two flights wasted… two flights, three planes, after 45 minutes,” she said in the tirade. She also urged bystanders to call the police while following an airline staff member through the concourse.
Witnesses later told police the woman attempted to disrupt boarding after missing the standby list for multiple flights, though this claim has not been officially confirmed. Turbeville added that she even tried to push through a gate after it had already closed, forcing staff to intervene.
The confrontation escalated further when she punched another computer monitor with her phone before continuing after an employee. Reports say officers were called to the scene around 9:30 p.m. They reported that Velez-Rodriguez struck an employee, caused more than $1,000 worth of damage to airline equipment, and resisted arrest by trying to pull away while being detained.
Velez-Rodriguez faces multiple charges, including battery, criminal mischief, and resisting an officer without violence. She was allowed to go home after posting a $5,000 bond, according to reports citing court records.
