Couple speaks out after confrontation at Miami International Airport leads to arrest

A Brazilian couple is speaking exclusively with CBS News Miami after their arrest at Miami International Airport, where authorities said they became irate over missing a flight and threw coffee at two people.

Beatriz Rapoport de Campos Maia, 29, and her fiancé, Rafael Seirafe-Novaes, 41, were charged with battery and trespassing after allegedly ignoring “No Trespassing” signs on the jet bridge while attempting to board their flight to Cancun. Seirafe-Novaes also faces a charge of resisting arrest without violence.

Couple calls incident a “misunderstanding”

De Campos Maia denies throwing coffee, saying it was an accident. “Nobody threw coffee. The coffee fell,” she told CBS News Miami after being released from jail.

“The lady who said I threw it was a liar. It just dropped on the floor.”

She explained that the couple, who are from São Paulo, were rushing to make their flight to Cancun, where they planned to celebrate their engagement.

“We did two connections. This was our second connection. We lost our trip to Cancun. We just got engaged, and what happened is a bad thing.”

Seirafe-Novaes also refuted the allegations, stating, “No, no. I am not crazy. We would not throw coffee. Coffee, I drink.” He showed CBS News Miami scrapes on his knee, which he claimed resulted from his arrest.

“I got this from the carpet from the polícia,” he said. “They said I resisted.”

Witnesses and airline respond

Cell phone video obtained by CBS News Miami shows the couple’s arrest and the moment Seirafe-Novaes was taken to the ground by law enforcement.

American Airlines released a statement, saying, “Acts of violence are not tolerated by American Airlines, and we are committed to working closely with law enforcement in the investigation.”

Passengers at the airport reacted to the incident, with one telling CBS News Miami, “I think it shows a lack of respect for each other and people in general.” Another passenger added, “Throwing coffee at somebody is not okay. You could burn someone, and even if it is not hot, it is still not okay to throw it at anyone.”

The couple, who are Advantage Platinum Pro members with American Airlines, said they are unsure whether they will still attempt to visit Cancun.