Passengers Restrain Man Accused of Grabbing Women on Flight

One passenger said the man grabbed her hair and told her to kiss him aboard the United Airlines flight bound for Southern California from Chicago

Passengers used belts to restrain a Virginia man who was taken into custody Tuesday night after allegedly harassing people -- including a woman who said he grabbed her hair and asked her to kiss him -- aboard a flight from Chicago to Santa Ana's John Wayne Airport.

Passenger Nona Pitts told NBC Los Angeles that the man, identified by the FBI as 26-year-old actor-model Arash Durrani, sat across from her on United Airlines flight 473. Pitts asked whether he was "on anything" because of his strange behavior.

"He was kind of slurring his words," Pitts said. "He just goes, 'Why, you want some?'

"The stewardess came by and he said, 'I want another (Jack Daniels).' I said I think he's had enough to drink. She gives him two more bottles of J.D."

Pitts, who owns an Orange County salon, moved to a different seat, but Durrani followed her, she said.

"He grabs my hair and he goes, 'Nona, Nona, Nona, kiss me,'" said Pitts.

When the man started pacing and scaring children on the plane, passenger David Truong said he and other passengers took action and physically restrained the man with belts.

"He looked at every one of us and said, 'I'm going to kill you and your entire family,'" Truong said.

Durrani was restrained for nearly three hours.

A receptionist at hiDurrani, who also goes by Ash, is listed as an actor in one movie that hasn't been released. His bio on IMDB says he was born in Alexandria and attended Hayfield Secondary School. He lived for a time in Costa Mesa.

A receptionist at his talent agency said they had no comment Thursday and abruptly hung up.

Durrani will be charged with a federal offense for interference with a flight crew, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.

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He was due back in Southern California for a criminal court appearance, according to the FBI. 

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