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Police: Man punches service dog, pregnant and deaf woman on flight from Colorado Springs

Posted at 12:30 PM, May 20, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-20 14:30:13-04

A flight from Colorado Springs to Orlando turned violent last Thursday, when police say a pregnant and deaf woman was punched in the stomach by a man who complained about her service animal.

To make matters worse, police said 59-year-old Timothy Manley also punched the woman’s dog, causing it to yelp.

The chaotic scene was outlined in an Orlando Police report, which said the suspect in the case complained about the woman’s Great Dane service dog, saying his wife was allergic and it took up too much room.

After the plane landed, police said Manley punched the dog with a closed fist in front of Colorado woman Hazel Ramierez, her husband and her two children who were traveling to Florida for a gender reveal party for their new child. The family said the man also touched the woman’s children and punched Ramierez in the stomach during the altercation.

Video shows the fight continuing off the plane and into the terminal. Airport Employee Phillip Moreno took video the fight on his phone as the fight spilled into the terminal.

"I saw a woman, I couldn’t really understand what she was saying," said Phillip Moreno, who was in the terminal as they got off the plane. "She was freaking out. And I couldn’t figure out why this man was chasing another man."

Ramierez’s husband, who is also deaf, chased after the man as they were getting off the plane. Moreno said he heard them yelling about the dog as they chased each other.

Police said no one has been arrested so far, but because the incident started on the plane, federal charges could be filed. The FBI is now handling the investigation.