Phoenix flight attendant found dead in Mexico City

PHOENIX – A US Airways flight attendant based in Phoenix was found dead in a Mexico City hotel room while on a layover, and authorities are investigating the death as a homicide.

A flight attendants union said the body of Nick Aaronson, 33, was found early Saturday in his room at a downtown Hilton.

The Mexico City prosecutor's office said the man was found naked on the floor, his hands tied behind his back with a cloth. He showed signs of beating and choking.

Prosecutors said no drugs, weapons or messages were found in the room. Police were checking security cameras, and an autopsy was planned.

Deborah Volpe, president of the Association of Flight Attendants Council 66, said Aaronson was "very popular" and "very loved" among the airline's Phoenix-based crews.

"It's tragic," Volpe told The Arizona Republic (http://bit.ly/vYzlAl). "We are caring for our co-workers. We're a tight-knit group in Phoenix."

A statement on the union's website says there doesn't appear to be a safety breach at the hotel but that crews will stay elsewhere temporarily while on layovers.

___

Online:

Association of Flight Attendants Council 66, http://www.afa66.org/