Mother slaps baby on Southwest flight

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - There were tense moments on a Southwest jet from Dallas, Texas to Albuquerque, New Mexico on Monday after a mother slapped her crying baby during the flight, according to witnesses.

A Southwest flight attendant took away the 1-year-old from its parents after witnessing the slap. Police were waiting at the gate at the Albuquerque International Sunport when the flight arrived around 4:30 p.m.

“I think it was a solid move [on] the part of the flight attendant to take custody of the child,” said Albuquerque International Sunport police chief Marshall Katz. “It neutralized the situation. It calmed everybody down.”

The flight attendant did return the child to its parents before the plane landed. Police then took the child into their custody at the gate and performed a welfare check. After police questioned the couple, the flight attendant and other witnesses, the child was returned the parents. The parents were not cited for the incident.

“We felt it was an isolated incident,” said Katz.

Southwest Airlines would not comment on the incident.