Passenger seen on video punching flight attendant pleads guilty, DOJ says

(CNN) — A pistillate who punched a formation attendant connected a May Southwest Airlines formation from Sacramento to San Diego pleaded blameworthy to interfering with a formation attendant, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

A formation attendant asked Vyvianna Quinonez, 28, to buckle her seatbelt, stow her tray table, and deterioration her disguise properly, arsenic the May 23, 2021 formation was connected its last descent, according to a plea statement reached past month.

After requesting that Quinonez comply, she returned to her ain spot for landing.

Quinonez started filming the formation attendant with her compartment phone, according to the agreement, and the formation attendant approached her again. Quinonez pushed the formation attendant and the incidental past became much violent.

Quinonez admitted to intentionally punching the attendant successful the look and caput with a closed fist and grabbing her hair, according to the DOJ, a scuffle seen connected different passenger’s video that went viral aft the incident.

A antheral rider jumped betwixt Quinonez, according to the plea agreement, and the formation attendant, who was visibly shaken, and instructed Quinonez to beryllium down.

The formation attendant was near with 3 chipped teeth, she needed stitches connected her face, and according to the plea agreement, she besides “had a bruise successful the signifier of fingers connected her close forearm.”

The formation attendant who was assaulted was simply doing her occupation to guarantee the information of each passengers aboard the plane,” said Acting United States Attorney Randy Grossman. “It’s inexcusable for anyone to usage unit connected an airplane for immoderate reason, peculiarly toward a formation attendant who is determination to support each the passengers safe. We are not going to tolerate unit oregon interference with the formation crew, and we volition prosecute transgression charges against those who interruption the law.”

Quinonez’s lawyer declined to comment.

The time aft the incident, the national representing Southwest formation attendants said rider misconduct has reached an “intolerable level.” The in-flight incidents and different moving conditions, the national said, near its ranks “weary, exhausted, frustrated and forgotten.”

This incidental was 1 of 5,779 incidents reported to the Federal Aviation Administration truthful acold this twelvemonth regarding disruptive and sometimes convulsive passengers onboard aircraft. More than 4,000 of the incidents were related to mask-wearing.

Quinonez volition beryllium sentenced connected March 11, 2022. She could look up to 20 years successful situation and a $250,000 fine.