Authorities detained an Alabama woman after she threatened airline staff and threw a computer monitor at an American Airlines gate agent at Miami-Dade International Airport.
Camila McMillie, 25, from Birmingham, Alabama, was traveling with her two children from Alabama to New York, and they had a stopover in Miami, according to the Miami-Dade Police Department. The 25-year-old mother’s behavior at the airport went viral after people posted videos of her on social media sites, including Twitter, TikTok and Reddit.
McMillie was checking in at the American Airlines gate after missing a prior flight, and according to the police, she became angry and started screaming after she noticed her two children had wandered off.
“While the subject was with the gate agent, her two minor children walked away without notice to use nearby restrooms. Once the subject noticed the children were not with her, she became irate and began to scream, demanding the gate agent to find her children,” police said.
A statement released by the police said that the situation with McMillie quickly escalated. She pulled a boarding pass reader from the wooden counter, damaging the counter and equipment.
She was screaming throughout the encounter, attracting dozens of bystanders, with some taking their phones out to film her.
At some point during her meltdown, McMillie grabbed a computer monitor and hurled it toward the gate agent, hitting her shoulder.
A report from the police indicated that Customs and Border Protection Officers detained the woman after the incident and then handed her over to police officers from the Miami-Dade Police Department when they arrived.
An affidavit says the mother of two’s violent reaction to her children wandering off caused damages worth more than $10,000 and left the gate agent with a bruised shoulder.
Police charged the Birmingham resident with aggravated battery, disorderly conduct, and criminal mischief. She is currently held at a county jail in Miami Dade, and a judge set her bond at $4,500.
Florida’s Department of Children and Families is assisting her children.
One of the passengers who witnessed the incident said that McMillie’s behavior was an overreaction and too violent, adding that she should have first looked for her kids before throwing a tantrum.
Speaking about the incident, American Airlines said they would not tolerate acts of violence against any team members, adding that they would continue working closely with investigators.
Miami Dade International Airport spokesperson Greg Chin told reporters that there would be a huge surge in passengers passing through the airport this holiday season and urged passengers to be patient.
He said the airport expected an average of 150,000 people a day until January 6, a large increase from the previous year.