21-year-old allegedly sexually harassed woman next to him on flight to Detroit

ROMULUS, Mich. – A 21-year-old man is accused of sexually assaulting the stranger who sat next to him on a flight to Detroit Metro Airport.

According to officials, 21-year-old Randal Wetzel was sitting next to a woman on a United Airlines flight from Dulles, Virginia, to Detroit on July 1, 2024.

A criminal complaint states that Wetzel was vaping on the plane. He spoke to the woman before takeoff and immediately after the plane took off, he put his hand on her thigh under her shorts, officials said.

The woman said she started watching a movie to end her conversation with Wetzel, but he asked if he could watch TV with her. He put his head on her shoulder and chest and rubbed her leg, the criminal complaint states.

He began touching the woman in inappropriate places, causing her to become frightened and remain rooted to her seat, officials said.

When Wetzel asked the woman if he could kiss her, she said it was not a good idea since they were on a plane full of people. He kissed her for several seconds until she pushed him away, the indictment says.

Wetzel asked if he could kiss the woman again, but she ignored him. He kissed her again and laid his head in her lap while rubbing her leg and thigh, authorities said.

The woman said Wetzel intentionally touched her through her shorts, so she told him to stop. He tried to put his hand down her shorts, and she told him to stop, officials said.

He continued to rub her leg and thigh, the woman said.

She mouthed a “help” sound to a woman in the row behind her, who called the flight crew. Wetzel was taken to the back of the plane.

Members of the flight crew confirmed that Wetzel was lying on top of the woman.

Police spoke to Wetzel, the woman and the witness after the flight landed.

The witness told police that she saw Wetzel’s head on the woman’s chest.

Wetzel initially told police the woman agreed to kiss him, but later admitted she made up an excuse not to. He told them he “realized she wanted to,” so he did it anyway, the charges say.

Wetzel also denied touching the woman inappropriately through her shorts, but later admitted it, police said.

According to officials, he also admitted to trying to put his hand down the woman’s shorts.

Wetzel said he was not surprised to see police officers after the flight.

The criminal complaint states that there is sufficient suspicion that Wetzel knowingly and without permission had sexual contact with the woman.