Flight attendant loses 2 teeth in attack on plane to San Diego
On Friday, a California woman who owned up to punching a Southwest Airlines flight attendant after being requested to wear a mask and connect her seatbelt was sentenced to 15 months in prison and required to pay over $30,000 in fines and restitution, according to officials.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California announced in a press release that Vyvianna Quinonez, 29, will remain on supervised release for three years and participate anger management classes for a violent attack on a Sacramento-to-San Diego flight on May 23, 2021.
While under supervision, Quinonez will also be prohibited from flying on commercial airliners, according to the prosecutor’s office.
According to the release, Quinonez agreed to plead guilty in December to one count of interference with flight crew members and attendants.
According to the release, she did admit to assaulting the flight attendant, who did suffer two broken teeth and required three stitches, after the employee instructed her to fasten her seat belt, stow her tray table, and wear her mask properly during the flight’s final approach.
The punishment came after a crackdown on unruly and dangerous behavior in the skies, mostly masking.
The surge has since subsided, but the number of reports investigated by the department remains high.