Delta Pilot Arrested at SFO Is Identified as Suspect in Child Sex Abuse Case

A Delta Air Lines copilot was arrested and dragged off a plane by federal agents on suspicion of child sexual abuse just moments after landing in San Francisco on Saturday night, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Monday.

Rustom Bhagwagar, 34, a former San Ramon resident who currently lives in Florida, was detained just after 9:30 p.m. Saturday after the flight from Minneapolis landed and passengers were preparing to deplane.

The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that it had been investigating Bhagwagar as the primary suspect in a case related to sex crimes against a child since April 2025, when authorities learned he was an airline pilot due to fly into San Francisco International Airport on July 26.

Detectives obtained a Ramey warrant — a court-ordered arrest warrant issued before a suspect is charged, usually obtained when time is of the essence or evidence needs to be preserved — and boarded the plane with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations.

In an email to KQED, a passenger described a group of law enforcement officers who “stormed the cockpit,” pushing their way through the aisles wearing HSI and sheriff’s badges and carrying guns, before handcuffing the copilot and removing him from the plane. A second set of officers retrieved Bhagwagar’s luggage and personal belongings.

Stunned witnesses initially thought the officers on the scene with HSI badges were immigration enforcement.

“Everyone was confused and in disbelief at what was happening,” Sarah Christianson, a passenger seated in first class, wrote to KQED. “The 10 people that forced their way to the cockpit didn’t say much aside from ‘clear the aisle, sit down,’ but we did hear a few of them say they were there for ‘immigration.’”

The remaining pilot and the flight crew also appeared “shocked” and told passengers that they didn’t know what was happening, Christianson said.

In a statement, a Delta Air Lines spokesperson said the company 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 spokesperson said.

SF Gate reported that Bhagwagar previously registered as a pilot with an address in San Ramon on his license.

Bhagwagar is being held at the Martinez Detention Facility on five counts of oral copulation with a child under 10, in lieu of $5 million bail.