NEW ORLEANS, LA – A Delta Airlines flight attendant has been charged with attempted second-degree murder after allegedly slashing a coworker in the neck during a drunken altercation at a New Orleans hotel early Monday morning, according to police.
Joshua Smith, 36, was reportedly out with several coworkers in the early hours of the morning before returning to their hotel around 3:15 a.m. Witnesses said Smith was “acting strangely” during the return trip, prompting a female colleague to escort him to his room. According to the New Orleans Police Department, the situation escalated when Smith attacked the woman, slashing her arm and neck with an unidentified weapon.
The victim managed to escape to another floor, but Smith pursued her. A hotel security guard intervened and was also injured, sustaining a cut to his thumb during the scuffle. The woman was taken to a local hospital for treatment, police said.
Smith was arrested and faces multiple charges, including attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, and simple battery.
Smith’s attorney, Thomas Calogero, told NBC News that the flight attendant had no recollection of the incident. “The group was drinking, and he had blacked out,” Calogero said. “He has no memory of the incident at all, nothing.”
Delta Airlines has not yet commented on the incident or Smith’s employment status.
The event occurred during the crew’s layover in New Orleans, where they had been enjoying the city’s nightlife. Police have not provided further details about the weapon used in the attack.
The investigation is ongoing, and Smith remains in custody.
