Woman Gets 15 Months in Prison for Punching Flight Attendant in the Face

A California woman was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison on Friday for punching a Southwest Airlines flight attendant and chipping her teeth.

The woman, Vyvianna M. Quinonez, will have to pay nearly $26,000 in restitution and a $7,500 fine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California. A video of the attack was viewed millions of times on social media.

Ms. Quinonez will not be allowed to fly on any commercial aircraft for three years after completing her sentence because of Judge Todd W. Robinson's order.

There was a surge of unruly and violent behavior by passengers who shoved, struck and yelled at flight attendants. American and Southwest put plans to serve alcohol on flights on hold after the attack. Both airlines have stopped selling alcohol.

The lives of all onboard are at risk, according to a statement from the US attorney for the Southern District of California.

A lawyer for Ms. Quinonez, who pleaded guilty in December in connection with the assault, could not be reached late Friday.

Ms. Quinonez apologized in a letter to the court. She said she was depressed and humiliated by the negative attention. She said that the experience changed her profoundly.

The flight attendant asked Ms. Quinonez to wear her face mask, put up her tray table, and wear her seatbelt on May 23, 2021.

Ms. Quinonez used her phone to film the flight attendant and pushed her. The attack was captured on video by another passenger.

The attendant was punched in the face multiple times by Ms. Quinonez, who was sitting in an aisle seat. The woman was able to move back up the aisle after she grabbed her hair. Several passengers tried to stop Ms. Quinonez.

The flight attendant, who was not named in court documents, was taken to a hospital with injuries that included a swollen eye, a bruised arm and a cut under her eye. Two of her teeth had to be replaced with crowns.

In a letter dated May 18 and addressed to Judge Robinson, a Southwest representative said that the company wanted the sentence to serve as a deterrent to unruly and violent behavior. The company's executive team heard fromcountless flight attendants who felt under attack during the Pandemic that pushed fear around travel to an all-time high.

Sonya Lacore, a vice president at Southwest, wrote that what happened on Flight 700 was absolutely horrible. The incident was captured on video and broadcasted across television and media channels.

The video of the assault still sickens her.