India

Toms River Couple Helps Subdue Unruly Passenger on Diverted United Flight from Italy

By Dan Alexander Dan Alexander Published: September 15, 2026

A Toms River couple found themselves helping restrain a violent passenger during a United Airlines flight from Italy that was diverted to Maine after a mid-air altercation. United Flight 18, carrying 274 passengers and 13 crew members, was traveling from Milan Malpensa Airport when it was rerouted to Bangor, Maine, due to an unruly passenger later identified as Kristina Kedysheva. Witnesses said she assaulted several flight attendants who attempted to calm her down. Alyssa Suder and her husband, Alexander, were seated toward the rear of the Boeing 777, returning from a family vacation in Italy. Alyssa's father, retired New Jersey State Police trooper and former Ocean County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Al Della Fave, was seated with other family members in the middle of the plane. According to Alyssa, Kedysheva had been repeatedly approaching the rear galley, filming and yelling at flight attendants as the flight progressed. A crew member had confided in her that Kedysheva was becoming increasingly hostile. Tensions escalated after the crew informed Kedysheva she would no longer be served alcohol, prompting more aggressive behavior. When she refused to return to her seat, chaos erupted. "All hell broke loose," Alexander Suder recalled, describing a scene of passengers tumbling toward the exit door as flight attendants called for help. The Suders rushed to assist, joining other passengers in restraining Kedysheva. "We all jumped on her legs. I was across her shoulders, pinning her down until we could secure her hands behind her back with emergency restraints," Alyssa said. During the struggle, Kedysheva kicked a flight attendant in the stomach, causing the attendant to fall and injure her shoulder. Kedysheva eventually stopped resisting, allowing the flight to land safely at Bangor International Airport. She was removed from the plane and now faces federal charges of interfering with a flight crew and assault, according to the FBI. Alyssa said fear ultimately drove her and her husband to act. "I was so afraid, but that fear pushed us to take action. Your body just goes into survival mode — you have to make sure everyone is safe," she said. Della Fave, who served as a state trooper from 1985 to 2009, expressed pride in his daughter and son-in-law's actions. "Don't mess with a Jersey trooper's daughter," he said.