Passenger on Southwest Airlines who attacked a flight attendant repeatedly might spend up to 15 months in jail.
Following a court decision on Friday, the passenger of a Southwest aircraft who admitted to repeatedly punching a flight attendant last year after being instructed to wear her face mask will serve up to 15 months in federal detention.
Following an incident that left a Southwest Airlines employee with three chipped teeth and an eye injury that required stitches in May of last year, Vyvianna Quinonez, 28, is also compelled to pay roughly $26,000 in reparations, according to FOX 5 San Diego.
According to court records, Quinonez must also pay a $7,500 fine and complete three more years of supervised release.
She has been prohibited from travelling on commercial airlines and will also need to take therapy or anger management classes, according to the newspaper.
According to FOX San Diego, FBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy stated in a statement that “today’s sentencing should send a very clear message to flying travellers – the FBI will rigorously investigate anybody who attacks or interferes with flight personnel.”
According to airline officials, Quinonez became erratic after defying orders from staff members to put on her face mask, buckle up, and elevate her tray table, and then allegedly started yelling and shoving the workers. The report states that she then assaulted the flight attendant.
In a letter provided to the U.S. District Court, a Southwest Airlines representative said Quinonez “created a scenario onboard Flight 700 that threatened the whole flight and created a hazardous atmosphere.”
According to the report, Quinonez’s “actions badly damaged our workgroup beyond explanation… causing dread to enter into the workplace forever,” the representative continued.
According to authorities, she could have received a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail and a $250,000 fine.
