Suspected stalker follows Atlanta family onto plane at DC airport
Mother describes security scare on Delta flight
A security scare on a Delta Air Lines flight had an Atlanta-area mother and her family terrified. Officials confirm a man was able to make it onto an Atlanta-bound plane at Washington Dulles International Airport without a boarding pass for that flight.
ATLANTA - The end of a family trip to the nation’s Capitol took a terrifying turn on August 4 when Lauren Benton and her family showed up for their Delta Air Lines flight at Washington Dulles International Airport, that is when she says a man got too close for comfort.
"I would go so far as to say stalking us," she said.
Benton said they noticed the man after going through security. She says he followed the family of four to a seating area and at one point joined Benton and one of her young daughters in the women’s restroom.
"My heart was racing, and my immediate attention was drawn to my children," Benton said. "Where are they? And I need to keep them close to me now."
Eventually, they went to board their Delta flight home to Atlanta, but that is when the situation got worse. The man followed them onto the flight and sat right next to them.
"I was just questioning his intentions the entire time and I know that child trafficking is absolutely a growing problem here in the United States and so that was the first thing that came to mind," Benton said.
She says she reported him to a flight attendant, and eventually he was removed because he should not have been on board. Officials confirmed the passenger had a ticket, just not on that Delta flight.
Airport officials say the passenger was not charged.
Lauren Benton says she and her family were stalked at Washington Dulles International Airport with the person even following them onto a Delta Air Lines plane even though he did not have a boarding pass for that flight. (Supplied)
The airline tells FOX 5 it is investigating. In a statement it said, "Delta has processes in place for gate agents and flight crews to verify that individuals onboard aircraft prior to departure are customers that are booked on that particular flight. Delta is reviewing the matter in question internally and has been in touch with airport authorities in conjunction with this review."
"I was shocked and felt nauseous, I could not believe the magnitude of the safety breach," Benton said.
Benton says her sense of safety at the airport was shattered. She hopes others take note of this situation.
"If your gut is giving you the sense that something is off and wrong, don't be afraid to speak up," she said.
Benton says her young daughters are scared after this. She says she is frustrated with the lack of response here and says Delta needs to do more.
This story is being reported out of Atlanta