Southwest Airlines customer who punched flight attendant faces 15 months jail
A Southwest passenger who pleaded guilty to repeatedly punching a flight attendant will serve up to 15 months in federal detention.
Vyvianna Quinonez, 28, must pay roughly $26,000 in compensation after an incident in May that left her with three chipped teeth and an eye injury that required stitches.
Quinonez must pay a $7,500 fine and serve three years of supervised release.
According to the article, she must also attend therapy or anger management training and cannot travel commercially.
“Today’s sentence should send a very strong message to air travellers — the FBI will vigorously pursue anyone who assaults or interferes with flight crews,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy said, according FOX San Diego.
Officials say Quinonez became erratic after refusing to wear a face mask, seatbelt, and tray table before yelling and shoving them. She reportedly attacked a flight attendant.
Fox 5 stated that other staff members and passengers helped halt the fight.
Southwest Airlines stated Quinonez “created a situation onboard Flight 700 that jeopardised the entire flight and created an unsafe environment,”
Quinonez’s “actions negatively impacted our workgroup beyond description … causing fear to come permanently into the workplace,” a spokeswoman said.
She risked maximum 20 years in jail and a $250,000 fine.
