According to recent reports, a California woman who violently assaulted a Southwest Airlines flight attendant back in May has officially pleaded guilty and now faces up to 20 years in prison and a massive $250,000 fine upon sentencing.
Twenty-eight-year-old Vyvianna M. Quinonez pleaded guilty in a federal court recently to charges of interference with flight crew members and attendants, per the U.S. attorney’s office, and it looks like her violent outburst is shaping up to ruin a good portion of the rest of her life.
According to reports, Quinonez boarded a Southwest flight from Sacramento to San Diego on the 23rd of May this year, where she was quick to violate FAA regulations and guidelines regarding proper mask-wearing amid the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Quinonez was also accused of unbuckling her seatbelt and pulling down her tray table during the plane’s final descent, which is also against flight rules. The California woman’s outburst of bad behavior quickly escalated when the flight attendant came around and requested that Quinonez comply with the flight’s seatbelt and masking policies, and to prepare her tray table for the plane’s landing. Upon the attendant’s request, Quinonez proceeded to push the airline employee.
Quinonez and another airline passenger began to film the altercation at this point. In one of the videos that captured the incident, that circulated on social media back in May, Quinonez can be seen punching the flight attendant in the face and pulling the woman’s hair. You then see a male passenger on the flight place himself between Quinonez and the injured flight attendant, chastising the angered passenger as the airline employee stands behind him with blood dripping from her face, near her left eye.
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The assaulted flight attendant ultimately required treatment at a hospital, according to the U.S. attorney’s office, where they addressed injuries such as a bruised, swollen eye, and a cut that required 3 stitches.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, Randy Grossman, said, “The flight attendant who was assaulted was simply doing her job to ensure the safety of all passengers aboard the plane. t’s inexcusable for anyone to use violence on an airplane for any reason, particularly toward a flight attendant who is there to keep all the passengers safe. We are not going to tolerate violence or interference with the flight crew, and we will pursue criminal charges against those who break the law.”
Vyvianna M. Quinonez is scheduled to be sentenced for her crimes on March 11, 2022.
Featured image via screen capture
