Los Angeles, Dec 23 (AFP\/APP):A California woman has pleaded guilty to punching a flight attendant in the face — bruising her and chipping three of her teeth — during an argument over mask wearing and other air safety requirements.<\/p>\n
Vyvianna Quinonez, a 28 year old resident of Sacramento, had initially claimed she was acting in self-defense, before accepting Wednesday the federal charge of “interference” of a flight, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.<\/p>\n
The incident took place on May 23, when Quinonez’s Southwest flight began its descent into Sacramento, according to the plea agreement.<\/p>\n
The flight attendant requested Quinonez to fasten her seatbelt, stow her tray-table and to reposition her mask so that it covered her mouth and nose.<\/p>\n
In response, Quinonez pushed the flight attendant and then began “punching her in the face and head with a closed fist and grabbing her hair,” the agreement stated.<\/p>\n
According to court documents, she then told police officers who came aboard for her arrest that she was only acting in self-defense — a fact rebutted by other passengers’ videos.<\/p>\n
“The flight attendant who was assaulted was simply doing her job to ensure the safety of all passengers aboard the plane,” said Randy Grossman, a federal prosecutor in California.<\/p>\n
The prosecutor’s office said it intends to ask for a jail sentence of four months plus six months of house arrest.<\/p>\n
Quinonez will also be banned from flying for three years.
\n“We appreciate the efforts of federal and local authorities working to bring this case to justice,” said Southwest Airlines in a statement to AFP.<\/p>\n
“Southwest Airlines has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to physical or verbal abuse against its Employees.”<\/p>\n
Incidents involving agitated or violent passengers have risen sharply in the United States since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, largely fueled by individuals’ refusal to wear a mask.<\/p>\n
Last week, a man was forced to disembark a flight in Florida for wearing a red thong as a face mask.<\/p>\n
According to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), more than 5,664 incidents were reported in 2021, of which more than 4,000 were mask-related.<\/p>\n
As of August 2021, the FAA had recommended over $1 million in fines for unruly passengers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Los Angeles, Dec 23 (AFP\/APP):A California woman has pleaded guilty to punching a flight attendant in the face — bruising her and chipping three of her teeth — during an argument over mask wearing and other air safety requirements. Vyvianna Quinonez, a 28 year old […]<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":31325,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[15136],"class_list":["post-31321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-world-news","tag-us-woman-pleads-guilty-to-beating-up-flight-attendant-in-mask-dispute"],"yoast_head":"\n