A man rioted at Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago, Chile, on Tuesday after reportedly learning he had been sold a fake ticket.
The man, reportedly of Haitian descent, showed up at the American Airlines check-in counter to board a flight to Miami, but got into an argument with counter officials when they discovered his ticket was invalid.
When the man learned that he would not be traveling to Miami after all, he became enraged and reportedly pulled a hammer out of his pocket. As passersby looked on in astonishment, the man then began to hit the computers and large check-in screens with the hammer.
Local police estimate that the man caused up to $22,000 in damage during his rampage.
Police in the Western Santiago prefecture confirmed that they had taken a Haitian national into custody following the incident. An American Airlines spokesperson also confirmed that a “disruptive person” had caused a stir at the check-in counter.
In a statement, the airline added: “We thank our team for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”
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