Mom pleads not guilty to hitting kids on plane

updated 11:10 a.m. ET July 27, 2007

DENVER - An airline passenger accused of hitting her children and threatening a flight attendant on a San Francisco-to-Denver flight pleaded not guilty Thursday.

Tamera Jo Freeman, 38, has been charged with two counts of assault and one count of interfering with a flight attendant. She was arrested July 16 when her Frontier Airlines flight landed in Denver.

Federal Magistrate Judge Craig B. Shaffer ordered Freeman to remain in jail, citing a lack of local ties to ensure she would show up for trial. He also cited medical issues but did not elaborate.

Neither Freeman nor her court-appointed lawyer, Martha Eskesen, asked that she be released on bond.

Passengers said Freeman repeatedly hit her two young children on their legs, shoulders and knees and that the children tried to hide from her, according to an arrest warrant.

Freeman's children, a 4-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son, have been placed in the custody of family members in California.

MORE FROM NEWS

News Section Front

U.K. court: British Airways can bar strike EU signs airline deal with Canada AAA says holiday travel to rise this year Travel industry gearing up for return to Cuba High-speed Russian train makes maiden trip Continental Airlines to launch Fiji service Flight attendant’s call caught pilots unaware The decade in travel: Technology and terrorism 17 dead in tourist bus crash in South Korea British Airways crew to strike over Christmas News Section Front   Add News headlines to your news reader: