On July 26, authorities arrested Delta Air Lines pilot Rustom Bhagwagar, 34, shortly after he landed a flight at San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
According to the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, its detectives boarded the plane and arrested the suspect in the cockpit at around 9:35 p.m. The authorities apprehended Bhagwagar under a Ramey arrest warrant, which in California is issued by judges or magistrates. It allows arrests to be made before a prosecutor files formal charges. The man was initially booked into Martinez Detention Facility on five counts of oral copulation with a child under 10 years of age. Bhagwagar is currently being held on a $15 million bond.
The detectives apprehended the pilot with the help of Homeland Security Investigations. They began investigating Bhagwagar in April after receiving a report of sex crimes against a child. Information obtained during the investigation informed law enforcement that the suspect would arrive at SFO on Saturday night.
In a statement of probable cause, a female alleged that Bhagwagar sexually abused her from ages 6 through 11. The abuse allegedly happened when Bhagwagar was dating the victim’s mother. The female also alleged that her mother was aware of the abuse. On July 19, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office filed a 24-count felony complaint in Superior Court against Bhagwagar. The sex crimes allegedly happened between 2018 and 2023. The man faces felony charges, including “engaging in a sexual act with a child 10 years old or younger, oral copulation with a child, forceable lewd acts upon a child, and aggravated sexual assault of a child.”
What Else Is There To Know About Rustom Bhagwagar’s Arrest?
According to the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office, Bhagwagar is from Florida. Court documents allegedly detail that his last recorded address was in San Ramon, a city in Contra Costa County. The flight he landed at SFO reportedly departed from Minneapolis. Local news source KTVU shared a statement from a Delta Air Lines spokesperson, which claimed the carrier has suspended Bhagwagar from his pilot role.
“Delta has zero tolerance for unlawful conduct and will fully cooperate with law enforcement,” the spokesperson said. “We are appalled by reports of the charges related to the arrest, and the individual in question has been suspended pending an investigation.”
Furthermore, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement to PEOPLE. She said, “Thanks to DHS’ partnership with [the] Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office this pedophile is behind bars.”
Authorities have also charged and booked Jennifer Powell, 45, the mother of the protected unidentified female, in connection with the case.
Bhagwagar’s arraignment is scheduled for July 30 at 1:35 p.m.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the case. The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office requests that relevant information be sent to its Investigation Division at (925) 313-2600. Additionally, informants can email [email protected] or call (866)-846-3592 if they’d like to leave an anonymous voice message.
