Delta co-pilot arrested on child sex crime charges on flight from MSP: What we know so far

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Authorities have released more details on a Delta co-pilot arrested Saturday night after flying from Minneapolis to San Francisco for allegedly committing sex crimes against a child.

Delta pilot arrested

What we know:

Officials with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office say at about 9:35 p.m. PT Saturday, a 34-year-old Florida man was taken into custody, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, on suspicion of five counts of oral sex with a minor under 10 years old. He’s being held in the Martinez Detention Center in lieu of $5 million bail.

Authorities say the investigation started in April after receiving reports of sex crimes against a child.

The arrest

The backstory:

Passengers reported seeing multiple federal agents push into the cockpit and arrest a Delta co-pilot on-board a flight from Minneapolis, shortly after it landed in San Francisco on Saturday night.

A passenger, who is related to a FOX 9 staffer and happened to be on the flight, recounted that the federal agents told passengers to stay in their seats as they pushed through first class and into the cockpit.

The co-pilot was handcuffed and pulled off the flight by the agents, some of whom were identified as Homeland Security investigators.

Delta responds

What they're saying:

Officials with Delta Airlines released a statement to FOX 9 Monday about the arrest.

"Delta has zero tolerance for unlawful conduct and will fully cooperate with law enforcement. We are appalled by reports of the charges related to the arrest and the individual in question has been suspended pending an investigation," the statement reads.