Ex-Cuban wrestler pleads guilty in SUV ramming of terminal
By Associated Press
Published October 19, 2004
MIAMI - A former Cuban Olympic wrestler pleaded guilty Monday to intentionally ramming his sport-utility vehicle into a ticket counter at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
Alexis Vila Perdomo, 33, pleaded guilty in federal court to intentionally using a motor vehicle to seriously damage and disrupt an international airport, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
As part of a plea agreement, other charges will be dropped after Vila is sentenced Jan. 5. Vila faces a maximum 20-year sentence and a fine of up to $25,000.
On July 4, Vila drove through two plate-glass doors at 45 mph and crashed through an unmanned Southeast Airlines ticket counter. He suffered minor scrapes. No one else was hurt.
He was involuntarily committed for a psychiatric evaluation after he was subdued by an air marshal and three Broward County deputies. The evaluation deemed he was competent to go to trial, and his public defender didn't challenge the finding.
Vila's motive for his act remained unclear. Public defender Robert Berube didn't return a phone call after hours Monday.
Vila won the bronze medal for Cuba in the 105.5-pound division in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He defected after winning a gold medal at the 1997 Pan American Games in Puerto Rico.
