The father of the 9-year-old boy who successfully boarded a flight bound for Las Vegas with no ticket last week said on Wednesday that his son has a history of behavioral issues, but he has no idea how to control him.
The father, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, kept his face covered in the hood of his sweatshirt during a meeting with reporters, according to USA Today. V.J. Smith, a representative of the anti-violence advocacy group MAD DADs, also attended the media conference.
"I'm a parent. I'm not perfect. We assumed he was at a friend's house. We had no idea where he was," the father, who choked back tears, said, adding that he hadn't talked to his son just yet - the 9-year-old is currently in a foster home in Las Vegas on protective custody grounds. Smith, who accompanied the father as the family spokesperson, said that the young boy will most likely return to Minneapolis on Friday.
The father said he had no idea how his son made it onto the Delta Airlines flight from Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport with no adult chaperone, boarding pass or ticket. The last time he saw his son, he'd gone to take out the trash - but he hopped on a light rail train that went straight to the airport instead.
Video surveillance from the airport depicts the 9-year-old chatting casually with a Delta gate agent. When the agent was distracted, the young boy walked past him, down the jet way, and onto the plane. He also managed to sidestep two other security checks before boarding the airplane by blending in with a family.
It wasn't until the plane was in the air that flight attendants realized his name was not listed on a flight record noting all unaccompanied minors. According to an article published by local paper the Star Tribune, the director of the county's Human Services and Public Health Department said that the boy acted violently, was sent to a medical facility, and ultimately calmed down.
The young boy reportedly has a curious history of troubling behavior. A few days before he boarded the plane last week, he stole a delivery van from a local noodle warehouse, then crashed it into a police car in Edina, a city in Hennepin County. He also sneaked into a waterpark without paying multiple times by blending in with a family. Last month, the 9-year-old was suspended from school for fighting.
During the meeting with reporters, the father admitted that he'd asked the officer who brought his son home to watch while he physically reprimanded the child.
"I said, 'please, sir, can you go up with me and watch me whip his butt,'" the father said. "The officer said, 'If I see you hit your son, I'm going to have to lock you up.' What can I do? If I whip my son, I get locked up. If I let him keep doing what he is doing, I get into trouble. Someone please, please help me."
The father said his son started demonstrating problematic behavior when he was around five years old.
"I'm tired of people saying he's a minor, there's nothing we can do," the father said, getting more emotional with every phrase. "There's something someone can do. I don't want him hurt. I miss my son. I want my son home."
